BY PAUL KOURI
SURREY, British Columbia - "We expect thousands of
people from across British Columbia, other parts of Canada
and even south of the border to attend" a march against
racism, Baljinder Sandhu told a well-attended news
conference here May 25. Sandhu is the coordinator of
Communities Against Racism and Extremism, a broad-based
coalition formed in the wake of the racist murder of Nirmal
Singh Gill, a Sikh caretaker, on January 4. Five members of
a racist skinhead group calling itself White Power were
arrested and charged on April 22 with second-degree murder.
The purpose of the June 28 event is to "demonstrate solidarity through the streets of Surrey, to oppose hate gangs and hate crime," explains the release handed out at the news conference. Speakers representing labor, youth, community, and other groups announced support for the action.
Jane Staschuk, representing the B.C. Federation of Labor, told the news conference that the "Canadian Labour Congress will be calling on its affiliates from across Canada to participate. The Washington State Labor Council has agreed to send a contingent."
Nindy Nann, from the South Asian Youth Alliance, told the conference, "We expect a large student turn out." Student associations from most universities and colleges in the Vancouver area and Victoria are supporting the action. Following the conference, Nann, told the Militant that several student and youth groups from the United States have been contacted. "There are already groups in Los Angeles based at UCLA and in New York City such as the South Asian activist network Proxa who will participate."
Caitlin Gilroy, a high school student in Surrey, is coordinating high school outreach. A member of the Global Awareness Committee in her school, Gilroy told the Militant, "the fact that a high profile representative of ultraright racist groups here, Karl Nordstrom, recently graduated from my high school, together with recent events, has helped pushed some of us at my school to do something."
The march will begin at 1:30 p.m June 28 at the Surrey Central Sky Train Station and end at Bear Creek Park where a rally is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. For further information, contact Communities Against Racism & Extremism at (604) 54E- RACE; fax: (604) 543-7620.
Paul Kouri is a member of United Steelworkers of America Local 2952.