Out of the Bubble, Into the Streets
The summer protests of 2020 marked a historic moment in the history of civil rights. After the murder of George Floyd in the United States, Black Lives Matter protests surged internationally, including extensive protests across Canada. In the fall, protests surged in Canada once again, this time in response to the Indigenous Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia who were fighting for their treaty fishing rights.
As two massive historic moments, these protests and the pandemic overlapped and influenced each other. How did social distancing and mask wearing affect the ways people protested? Did the pandemic affect how many people attended protests? What happened when the passion and drive behind these social protests met the restrictions and limitations of COVID-19?
Protest and Pandemic Connections
Civil rights protests and the pandemic regularly intersected. These artifacts all show ways that people either compared the protests to the pandemic or coupled the two in meaningful ways.
A Black Lives Matter protester holds a sign about the need to be educated about social issues.
This Black Lives Matter sign compares racism to COVID-19.
This Healthline article explains masking is an important safety precaution when protesting during the pandemic.
The connections between protests and the pandemic shine through the second image, but the first image connects social protests to the pandemic in a subtle way. Misinformation and ignorance about social issues is central to both the Black Lives Matter protests and the pandemic, and so the protester’s point that “ignorance is a choice” easily applies to either white supremacists or COVID-19 conspiracy theorists.
The Healthline image shows how both protests and the pandemic have become mainstream. A health magazine, Healthline is not known for political stories or social justice activism.
Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 Protocols
These Instagram posts advertise local Black Lives Matter protests and tell protesters how to properly protest during a pandemic.
This sign reminded protesters to maintain social distancing and come wearing masks.
A post from London, Ontario's Black Lives Matter Instagram account shared ways to stay safe during protests.
A post from London, Ontario's Black Lives Matter Instagram account, shared COVID-19 precautions to do after attending a protest.
The first image takes special care to mention mask wearing and social distancing measures. The other two images are posts that only mention COVID-19, showing how the pandemic so blatantly affected civil rights marches. In 2020, the actions of protesters impacted more than just their cause, also affecting each others’ health and safety.
Massive Crowds
These seven photos depict Black Lives Matter protests across Canada. Looking at these photos raises one simple thought: these people are way too close together.
Black Lives Matter protests across Canada in the summer of 2020. Top, left to right: Toronto, Chatham, Vancouver, and Calgary. Bottom, left to right: Montreal, Ottawa, and Halifax.
There is such gravity to the photos of these massive crowds protesting hate. By attending these protests, people were more likely to get COVID-19, but protesters chose the safety and rights of the Black community over their own. The actions of protesters sent a powerful message about the importance of civil rights even amidst a pandemic.
Indigenous Protests
The Black Lives Matter protests were not the only civil rights protests in Canada.
Protests over treaty rights to lobster fishing turned confrontational.
Protesters hold signs about respecting Mi’kmaq treaty rights to lobster fishing.
Protesters playing music at a Mi'kmaq protest in Toronto.
In the fall of 2020, civil rights activists stood in solidarity with the Indigenous Mi’kmaq people over their treaty rights to lobster fishing.
The pandemic also affected these protests. A quick glance at these photos shows protesters wearing masks, but, like with the Black Lives Matter protests, it was hard to maintain social distancing. Once again, protesters sacrificed their personal safety to support the rights of an oppressed group.