I Am a Global Humanitarian Who Cares About My Fellow Citizens Too

Somehow I did not think these were mutually exclusive

Catherine Oceano
Fourth Wave

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A photo of legs and feet. A sign saying Silence is Violence can be seen writtin on a piece of cardboard
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

I went to a rally yesterday. The Prime Minister of Canada and his cabinet were meeting at a local conference centre. There is a lovely space in front perfect for gatherings of people who have things to say. We had our posters, megaphone and motivation.

There were more police standing around than I had ever seen before except perhaps at a parade. They stood in front of the building doors, some could be seen inside. Others flanked our group, faces mostly impassive, watching us and the other bystanders as well as passing cars. Many of us were older folks; not too frightening by appearance. One of my friends who was standing near me giggled and said she was glad there were so many officers there for our protection.

There is also truth in that.

At previous rallies we have been physically attacked; once there was a knife-wielding man. This part of town has significant numbers of individuals with mental health and addiction issues living just a few blocks away. My friend may have been thinking about the recent random stabbing deaths that occurred in a city not far away. But there is no doubt the police would have been aware of any unsavoury characters lingering near where the…

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Catherine Oceano
Fourth Wave

old but not dead, mother, partner, grandmother, writer, Canadian Become a Medium member and support great writers like me.