BADC MAY 4-1992 YONGE STREET PROTEST

 

Murphy Browne © May 4-2021 

BADC MAY 4-1992 YONGE STREET PROTEST

 

Twenty-nine years ago, on May 4, 1992, the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC) led by social justice activist, Pan-Africanist and Garveyite, Dudley Laws, organized a demonstration in Toronto in solidarity with the people of Los Angeles who were angered by the acquittal of the four white Los Angeles policemen in the savage videotaped beating of African American Rodney King. 

A group of approximately 1000 Canadians took to Yonge St. in solidarity with Rodney King and the protesters in Los Angeles against police brutality and anti-Black racism and also to protest police brutality and anti-Black racism in Toronto. Two days earlier, 22-year-old African Canadian Raymond Lawrence had been killed by white police constable Robert Rice.  

 

In 1992 Raymond Lawrence was the 14th African Canadian victim of a police shooting in Toronto in the 14 years between 1978 and 1992 and the sixth African Canadian killed by police in Toronto. In 1979 Albert Johnson and Michael Sargeant were killed by police, in 1985 Leander Savoury, was killed by police, in 1988 Lester Donaldson was killed by police, in 1990, 16-year-old Marlon Neil was killed by police and in 1992 Raymond Lawrence was killed by police. In the hours following a peaceful demonstration, a group of people went on a rampage, looting and destroying property. Ironically, the majority of looters were reportedly white skinheads. 

On May 9, 2021 the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC) will host a virtual Dudley Laws Memorial Scholarship and Memorial Recognition Awards event. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Julius Garvey, the son of the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. 

 

Murphy Browne © May 4-2021