Statues of Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II are demolished in Canada | Indignation at the discovery of indigenous graves

The indignation of Canadians at recent discoveries of indigenous tombs, especially children, this resulted in demolition of the statues of Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II. It happened this Thursday, as part of Canada Day, when the country celebrates the autonomy of the United Kingdom, declared on July 1, 1867.

Statues of the monarchs were located next to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly building in the city of Winnipeg. The statue of Victoria, who reigned between 1937 and 1901, was covered in spots of red paint, as well as handprints, of the same color, in tribute to the victims of the network of boarding schools that the British set up in their former colony with the idea of ​​”re-educating” the natives.

Victoria and Elizabeth II are considered part of Canada’s colonial past, and theThe fury was heightened when the day before 182 anonymous graves were found in British Columbia. The discovery took place in one of the schools where assimilation was forced. This motivated Indigenous groups to call for Canada Day not to be celebrated.

“We will not celebrate stolen indigenous lands or stolen indigenous lives. Instead, we will come together to honor all the lives lost by the canadian state“said the social movement Don’t slow down anymore, which called for mobilization in solidarity with indigenous peoples.

By the end of May, the remains of 215 children had been discovered, some of whom were only three years old. It was on the grounds of a former Indian residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. In June, 751 graves appeared in the province of Saskatchewan.

In turn, four Catholic churches were destroyed by fires in indigenous communities in the west of the country. So far, no link has been established between the fires and the human remains.