Walk of Solidarity planned in Windsor for Afzaal family
A Walk of Solidarity is planned in Windsor to honour the second anniversary of a family struck and killed in London, Ont.
The walk will take place on Tuesday to honour the four members of the Afzaal family, who were struck and killed by a man in a truck, in what police called a hate-motivated attack because they were Muslim.
Talat Afzaal, 74, her son Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah Salman died. The only survivor was a nine-year-old member of the family, who suffered injuries.
The walk honours the family and all other victims of hate crimes as participants stand up against hate, bigotry, and islamophobia.
Aliya Samsair, of Islamic Relief Canada and walk organizer, in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, June 5, 2023. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)
"It's instilling in the future generations that we shouldn't have this type of hate, we shouldn't have this type of discrimination and hopefully build on a society that doesn't have those elements and it's not welcome,” said ,Aliya Samsair, who works with Islamic Relief Canada and is an organizer of the event.
“And - if it is present, it doesn't feel like it has a platform to stand on."
Nathaniel Veltman faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. His trial is set to proceed on September 5, 2023 in a Windsor courthouse.
Amna Masoodi, organizer for the Walk of Solidarity, tells AM800’s Dan MacDonald Show the tragedy had a huge impact on her and her life.
"It definitely made me more aware of all the micro-aggressions that we face day-to-day. It made me realize that these can amount to something a lot bigger, and that when we're walking around we have to be, unfortunately, very vigilant of our surroundings."
The walk "In Honour of Our London Family" starts at the Bert Weeks Memorial Garden at 7 p.m. on June 6.
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