Saskatoon march of solidarity held for Colten Boushie on Tuesday - Action News
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Saskatoon

Saskatoon march of solidarity held for Colten Boushie on Tuesday

Students at the University of Saskatchewan and city residents took part in a demonstration on Tuesday with the goal of showing solidarity with the family of Colten Boushie.

Boushie's death brings up memories of MMIW, Neil Stonechild, Leo Lachance for organizer Regan Ratt-Misponas

On Tuesday, more marches and rallies took place across Canada, such as this one in Saskatoon, in response to the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in the shooting death of Colten Boushie. (Submitted by Kelly Pankratz)

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Saskatoon on Tuesday in support of Colten Boushie and against the not guilty verdict in the Gerald Stanley murder trial.

On Tuesday another round of meetings, marches and protests took place around Canada, a response to the acquittal of Stanley, a Biggar-areafarmer.

Stanley wascharged with second-degree murder in connection with the August 2016 shooting death of Boushie, 22.
Regan Ratt-Misponas, bottom row on the left, president of the Indigenous Students Council at the University of Saskatchewan helped organize the protest. (Marianne Meunier/ICI Saskatchewan)

Many of those protesting felt the acquittal was an unjust verdict and sought to raise awareness of perceivedinjustices that existed in the trial.

We needed to walk together and this was our chance to make sure that a message was given.- ReganRatt-Misponas, Indigenous Students Council president

Regan Ratt-Misponas, president of the Indigenous Students Council at the University of Saskatchewan helped organize the protest.

He was at a round dance over the weekend celebrating achievements in the Indigenous community at the U of S when news spread of Stanley's acquittal.

"There was disappointment, and a few of our community members felt it and you could feel it in the room," he said. "That night we kept dancing."

As the weekend came and went, he felt the need to show solidarity with those who feltimpacted by the verdict.

"This was a family that needed support, a community of Indigenous students who were feeling it, especially from the comments and the statements that were being made on social media,"saidRatt-Misponas.

"We needed to walk together and this was our chance to make sure that a message was given."

For Ratt-Misponas,the Boushie story hit particularly close to home.

"This year I'm 22 and being an Indigenous person, being Cree, being anhiyawman I've had to hear stories such as, like, Neil Stonechildand Leo LaChanceand missing and murdered Indigenous women and now ColtenBoushie."

With files from Radio-Canada