Trudeau attends London march to mark anniversary of attack on Muslim family

Tomorrow marks one year since the Afzaal family was killed. The family was out on a walk after dinner when they were struck by a truck driven by a young white man.

Four members of the family were killed. A nine-year-old boy who was also a member of the family was seriously injured but survived after the attack. Police called it hate-motivated.

Thousands gathered at Oakridge secondary school today to show solidarity and support. Hundreds marched from the school to the London Muslim mosque. Prime minister Justin Trudeau was among those in attendance.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau says everyone should feel safe and he’ll continue to take action.

“Our government invested in the launch of a new anti-racism strategy and a national action plan to combat hate, which includes funding millions of dollars to grassroots organizations many of them Muslim, focused on fighting racism, intolerance, and Islamophobia in communities across the country. We’re also launching a process to appoint Canada’s very first special representative on combating Islamophobia,” Trudeau said.

The Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia, a group formed by family, friends, and community members to stop violence against Muslim people says they want change. “We have worked tirelessly to create a documentary and educational package about Islamophobia, it is our hope that educators across Canada will use these resources to facilitate important conversations to change the narrative.”

On Monday, the city will unveil a memorial and garden in honour of the Afzaal family.