Queen Victoria, Elizabeth statues toppled in Canada over deaths of indigenous children

A crowd in Winnipeg chanted ‘no pride in genocide’ before pulling down the statues of the monarchs

Almost 1,000 unmarked graves have been found at former residential schools that were mainly run by the Catholic Church

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A defaced statue of Queen Victoria lies after being toppled during a rally in Winnipeg, Canada. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:10pm, 2 Jul 2021Updated: 8:58pm, 2 Jul 2021

Protesters have toppled statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth in the Canadian city of Winnipeg as anger grows over the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in unmarked graves at former indigenous schools.

A crowd chanted “no pride in genocide” before pulling down the statues of the monarchs.

The action took place on Canada Day on Thursday, when traditionally celebrations take place across the country.

However, many cities scrapped events this year as the scandal over the indigenous children made Canadians confront their colonial history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the day would be “a time for reflection”.

Young dancers circle a statue of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg. Photo: Reuters

Almost 1,000 unmarked graves have been found at former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan that were mainly run by the Catholic Church and funded by the government.

For 165 years and as recently as 1996, the schools forcibly separated indigenous children from their families, subjecting them to malnourishment and physical and sexual abuse in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called “cultural genocide” in 2015.