Statement of Solidarity: United Against Anti-Black and Anti-Tamil Hate Crime — Graffiti Targeting the Tamil Genocide Monument in Chinguacousy Park, Brampton

On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we, the undersigned, stand in solidarity and unequivocally condemn the anti-Black and anti-Tamil hate crime committed against Black and Tamil people by vandalizing the Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton’s Chinguacousy Park.

This act is not only vandalism—it is a deliberate act of racial violence and a stark reminder that our shared commitment to human rights is under attack. That it occurred on the eve of a day rooted in global resistance to racism underscores the urgency of this moment.

March 21 commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre, when apartheid police opened fire on peaceful Black protesters opposing the racist pass laws, killing 69 people. That massacre exposed the brutality of institutionalized anti-Black racism to the world and remains a call to action.

From apartheid pass laws to present-day repression, the common thread is clear: surveillance, control, attacks, and state-orchestrated violence targeting Black, Indigenous, Tamil, and all racialized peoples.

The desecration of the Tamil Genocide Monument—a sacred space for reflection, grief, and remembrance—further re-victimizes our community while targeting Black life. It reflects the same forces that deny genocide, erase histories, and perpetuate division, as many nations and peoples around the world continue to face ongoing violence, displacement, and oppression.

We affirm that our struggles are interconnected. In the face of such violence, we choose solidarity, accountability, and collective resistance. We reject attempts to divide our communities and instead recommit ourselves to standing together against racism in all its forms.

Call to Action

• We call on all levels of government to publicly speak out and take meaningful action in response to this hate crime. This includes directing resources to support the National Council of Canadian Tamils and community allies in educating the broader public about the Tamil Genocide Monument and its significance.

 

• We further call on municipal, provincial, and federal governments to work in collaboration with their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bodies to advance sustained public education and awareness initiatives. These efforts must challenge anti-Black racism and address the realities of anti-Tamil racism, including the conditions that have led to the ongoing Tamil genocide.

 

• We urge the full mobilization of Tamil Genocide Education Week as a critical opportunity to confront the ignorance that enables acts like this to occur. Education must be proactive, community-led, and rooted in truth, remembrance, and accountability.

 

• We also call for the creation of organizing tables that bring together Tamil and Black communities to deepen solidarity, foster dialogue, and build collective strategies to confront racism and violence. These spaces are essential to strengthening relationships, advancing shared struggles, and ensuring that such acts are met with unified, community-driven responses.

This moment demands more than statements—it requires coordinated, resourced, and sustained action to confront racism, protect spaces of remembrance, and build a more just and informed society.

We stand alongside the National Council of Canadian Tamils, Tamils across Canada, and marginalized peoples around the world rising up against fascism and white supremacy.

An injury to one is an injury to all.