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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.