On July 24, Abdirahman Abdi, a Somali immigrant living with autism, was violently killed in broad daylight by Ottawa police officers David Weir and Daniel Montsion. CUPE Ontario sends our sincere condolences to Abdirahman’s family, and we join the call for justice regarding his death.
We know that Black people and people living with disabilities, like Abdirahman, are disproportionate targets of police violence. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto and the following demands regarding the death of Abdirahman Abdi:
- Charges to be laid against David Weir & Daniel Montsion, the police officers who killed Abdirahman Abdi.
- The public release of the full Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report into the killing of Abdirahman Abdi.
- The collection and release of any and all race-based data by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
- For Attorney General Yasir Naqvi to mandate the implementation of the Iacobucci Report across the province.
- For Attorney General Yasir Naqvi to undertake an investigation into police encounters with people living with disabilities.
- For Health Minister Eric Hoskins to investigate how the Ottawa Hospital colluded with police to mislead the public and Abdirahman’s family regarding his death.
- For the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons to strip the licenses of those who authorized misleading the public and Abdirahman’s family regarding his death.
- For the Ottawa Hospital to end any collaboration with police or the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to withhold information from families and the public.
- Counseling and support to be provided for family and community members who witnessed and were impacted by the killing of Abdirahman Abdi.
As trade unionists, it is absolutely necessary for us to fight against all forms of social and economic oppression. When we fight anti-Black racism and ableism, we are standing up for our members, for our families, and for the communities we serve. We call on the provincial and federal governments to show leadership and make real changes to address systemic anti-Black racism and anti-Black violence in our province and across the country.
