Thousands of people turned up for the show of solidarity outside Victoria City Hall today in support of the Muslim community.
Lisa Helps began the gathering of support with a moment of silence for the people who were killed while praying in Quebec on Sunday.
“To our Muslim friends, neighbours, sisters and brothers, we love you; we support you, we stand with you, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. You belong here; we are your community” she continued.
He also stressed the importance to address the topic of Islamophobia, “which people sometimes shy away from,” Islamophobia is rising in the western world and in Canada which is a source of worry and fear for the Muslim community, he said.
“We need to do more, we need to connect, this is a battle that is ongoing, and it will be waged through education and communication,” said Mohamed Nur.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak estimates the crowd size at about 3,000.
Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, the sole suspect in Sunday’s terrorist attack, has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder for the shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre.