"Recently we have seen protests across the world against police brutality, white supremacy, the dehumanization of black people, along with the structural and systemic racism it engenders. The unjust deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and those before them have likewise outraged our fellow Canadians and Albertans, as well has caused unimaginable grief and sadness. We cannot afford to be silent, but more importantly, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals cannot afford us to be silent; being silent is being complicit to the violence that they face. Graduate students across Alberta stand in solidarity with their black community members here and abroad. ab-GPAC stands firm in the belief that protests are necessary to demand positive change to address systemic racism and dismantle white supremacy."
Read the full statement here.