1 Year, No Justice: Family & Friends Honour the Memory of Jared Lowndes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MEDIA ADVISORY & PRESS RELEASE
July 8, 2022

MEDIA ADVISORY

When:     Friday July 8, 9 AM onwards
Where:    Campbell River BC, 2072 S Island Hwy [google map]
Who:     #JusticeForJared Family & Supporters

Friday, July 8 marks the 1 year anniversary of the execution of Jared Lowndes by the Campbell River RCMP. Jared Lowndes, a proud Wet’suwet’en man and member of the Laksilyu (Small Frog) Clan was murdered on the morning of July 8, 2021.

On July 8, 2022, Laura Holland (mother of Jared Lowndes), Martha Martin (mother of Chantel Moore & Mike Martin), and organizers from across BC will be marching through Campbell River. Families touched by police violence and murder have been working tirelessly to shine a light on the realities of police murders - which target Indigenous and Black people at alarming rates. The first anniversary march will include multiple families impacted by police murders. Each of these families has firsthand experience of the unimaginable horror of having a loved one killed by police - and navigating the systems of accountability that are designed to prevent these acts of violence. Supporters of #JusticeForJared march to bring attention to the ongoing violence perpetrated at the hands of the RCMP. Police executions of Indigenous people must end and police can no longer be granted immunity- including by supposed “independent” investigation bodies like the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO). We can no longer allow the killing of Indigenous, Black, and other community members and claim it is authorized by public interest, public safety, or the public purse.

Since Jared’s death, Campbell RCMP officers have killed multiple times. There are currently 4 open IIO Investigations into deaths at the hands of the Campbell River RCMP. While these supposed investigations are done independently, the reality is they shroud police conduct in secrecy. The RCMP must be subject to public scrutiny.

As of the first anniversary, the IIO has yet to produce a public report on Jared’s death. Laura Holland continues to call for an external investigation into the conduct of the RCMP. This investigation must also examine the role of the RCMP “E” Division and the federal Ministries which oversee and dictate RCMP activities - the Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Safety. Despite public commitments and parliamentary sub-committees designed to address racist and colonial policing practices, the RCMP continues to use the public purse to benefit execution-style killing of “Indians,” “Aboriginals,”“Indigenous,” and “First Nations” peoples, as well as Black people and other people of colour.

Randy Geddes, Friend of Jared Lowndes:

“The weaponization of attack dogs to help the RCMP murder and maim should be criminal. If anyone besides the police did this, it would be treated as a crime. Why are they held to a different standard? The rate of violent crimes against Indigenous people - by those meant to keep us safe - is astonishing. The police investigating police’s crimes needs to stop. The IIO can never be a truly impartial organization and can’t be trusted to take care of public safety.”

The weaponization of attack dogs to help the RCMP murder and maim should be criminal

Martha Martin, Mother of Chantel Moore & Mike Martin:

As a mother of two children killed by police and prisons, I have no faith in recommendations. We need action and we need it now. Every time I gather with families, we add new names to our lists of people killed by the police. The violence must end. Now. I am walking with Laura Holland because I understand her pain - as a mother who has lost children to police violence. Across this country - from my Nuu-chah-nulth homelands to the Wolastoqey territory I live in - Indigenous people are being killed by the police. Rodney Levi was killed just 8 days after my daughter, and 2 years later we have added so many names. The killings must end.

Rodney Levi was killed just 8 days after my daughter, and 2 years later we have added so many names. The killings must end.

Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham) Spokesperson for the Gidimt’en Checkpoint, and member of the Cas Yikh (Grizzly House), Gidimt’en Clan, Wet’suwet’en:

Jared's murder by police with the use of police dogs is a blatant example of racism, the ongoing violence in so called Canada. Police dogs have been used in all 3 of the militarized raids on Wet'suwet'en people as a threat of extreme violence and even death so that we comply with the ongoing colonial project. What happened to Jared could happen to any of us if we don't take a stand and put an immediate end to the racist state violence by police.

What happened to Jared could happen to any of us if we don't take a stand and put an immediate end to the racist state violence by police.

Tonye Aganaba, Defund 604 Network:

Jared Lowndes, a Wet'suwet'en man, father, son, cousin, relation of many died execution-style by the hands of Her Majesty the Queen, needlessly. The RCMP claims that “public trust is essential for the RCMP to effectively serve and protect Canadians.” We ask, who do they serve? Who do they protect? Police killings must be treated as a breach of their duty to protect. We demand accountability for every RCMP killer who used the public purse to kill anyone, including Jared Lowndes.

We demand accountability for every RCMP killer who used the public purse to kill anyone, including Jared Lowndes.

Kwitsel Tatel, Stó:lō Matriarch:

Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, we are calling on you to take every Act under review and address the ongoing murders of Indigenous people. How many people must die at the hands of the police to ensure legislative change? Police murders are part of the genocidal state of affairs in so-called Canada, enabled by all levels of government. Who is ensuring the safety of these laws, and who are they designed to protect? The current policy seems to be, ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil,’ despite all this killing using the public purse. We need legislative reform, updated services and training for every government and police agent that comes into contact with an “Indian,” original peoples, with or without a treaty in so-called Canada.

Police murders are part of the genocidal state of affairs in so-called Canada, enabled by all levels of government.

Meenakshi Mannoe, Criminalization & Policing Campaigner, Pivot Legal Society:

Policing in all of its forms - including the RCMP and municipal forces - continues to target Indigenous people across so-called Canada. Practically speaking, forces operate with impunity. The agencies that are supposed to protect the public - like the Independent Investigations Office of BC - functionally insulate police from accountability. BC must invest in independent legal services and supports for families and survivors of police violence - so they can receive proper support and advocacy in the aftermath of violence and murder.