Ottawa [Canada], June 6 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday (local time) kneeled to show support to the thousands of peaceful protestors demanding justice for African-American man George Floyd, whose death in police custody has sparked protests in neighbouring United States.
Trudeau took a knee during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Ottawa, hours after he refused to confirm whether he would be attending the protest. Later, he arrived at the protest site at Parliament Hill wearing a black mask, reported CNN.
Though the Prime Minister did not speak at the event, he applauded the speakers and even yelled "amen" after one of the speakers spoke on love and justice.
The protest was orgsed by 'No Peace Until Justice'. The protestors observed silence for nine minutes as it was the amount of time that the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck. Some, including Trudeau, even kneeled to express solidarity.
The Ottawa Police Service said in a statement, "We respect the rights of our residents and community members to speak out when they see injustices and we understand the community's deep pain and frustration. Our role is to provide a safe space for people to grieve and be heard."
The death of 46-year-old Floyd on May 25 has garnered a number of global leaders supporting the protests even as US President Donald Trump has used the National Guard against the protestors.
On May 3, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint from the authorities in responding to demonstrators, Xinhua reported.
Guterres hopes to see peaceful protests in the US over the death of Floyd, said spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
( With inputs from ANI )