Thousands participate in multi-faith march against racism and Islamophobia in London, Ont.
On Friday, thousands of people marched from the scene of the horrific crash that killed four people on Hyde Park Road to the London Muslim Mosque, as the Multi-Faith March to End Racism and Islamophobia mourned the loss of four members of a Muslim family, murdered in an alleged hate-motivated attack.
Salman Afzaal, 46, his 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal, 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, and their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman were all killed Sunday in an attack police are calling premeditated.
Multi-faith March against racism and Islamophobia underway in London, Ont. on June 11, 2021. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV London)
Multi-Faith March to End Racism in London, Ont. on June 11, 2021. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV London)
Organizer Rev. Kevin George of St. Aidan's Anglican Church, said, "who among us didn't have their hearts broken this week?" as he asked the thousands in front of the London Muslim Mosque.
"We needed to fill these streets and let this community know love will overwhelm hate every day of the week," Rev. George added.
The massive crowd stopped at the mosque with a moment of silence at 8:40 p.m. to mark the moment when the Afzaal family was killed Sunday evening.
London lawyer and fellow Muslim, Faisal Joseph said he was grateful for the thousands that packed the route to denounce hatred and Islamophobia. "Tonight is our human family," he said. "I'm so, so proud to be a Londoner."
The event started shortly after 7 p.m. Friday. Marchers walked south from the scene of the collision on Hyde Park Road at South Carriage Road to Oxford Street to the mosque nearby where the suspect was arrested at Cherryhill Mall Sunday.
The funeral for the four family members will take place Saturday afternoon.
Nathaniel Veltman, 20, of London, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in their deaths, and attempted murder in the case of nine-year-old Fayez Salman who is recovering in hospital. Veltman will appear in court Monday to answer to the charges.
Multi-Faith March to End Racism in London, Ont. on June 11, 2021. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV London)
Multi-Faith March to End Racism in London, Ont. on June 11, 2021. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV London)
- With files from CTV News London's Marek Sutherland
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca