‘It must not happen again’: protesters call for mental health supports after death of international student

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2024 (587 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than 100 people came together in downtown Winnipeg Saturday to call for more mental health supports and systemic reform, weeks after an international student was shot and killed by police.

The rally will be the first of many, an organizer pledged.

“It must not happen again,” said Vera Keyede, president of the Nigerian Association of Manitoba Inc.

Afolabi Stephen Opaso, 19, was having a mental health crisis at a Winnipeg apartment on New Year’s Eve when officers were called for a well-being check, his supporters say.

The Winnipeg Police Service said Opaso was wielding two knives and confronted officers.

“He was not a criminal, he was not harming anybody, from the reports,” Keyede said. “Being Black is not a crime, mental health is not a crime.”

Opaso was studying economics at the University of Manitoba. Friends called him Zigi-Pink.

“Being Black is not a crime, mental health is not a crime.”–Vera Keyede

Keyede stood inside Union Station Saturday afternoon as protesters funnelled inside, gathering before a march to the Manitoba legislature.

The event will be “one of many,” Keyede said.

“Until justice is pronounced, we’re not relenting.”

Keyede said protesters want more mental health supports and a response to police brutality, which involves having protection in place to stop such an incident from happening again. The African community is doing “a lot on background,” Keyede said, adding Opaso’s parents have a lawyer.

“Until justice is pronounced, we’re not relenting.”–Vera Keyede

“We cannot really say much now,” Keyede continued. “It’s a bit premature to start talking about plans.”

She awaits a report on the shooting. Next steps will become clearer then, she said.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is conducting the investigation into the police shooting. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba normally scrutinizes such cases, but it has stepped back to avoid a conflict of interest, as one of the officers involved in the case is related to a provincial justice employee.

Titi Tijani, president of the African Communities of Manitoba Inc., held a “Justice 4 Zigi” sign as she walked down Broadway Saturday.

Mental health crises should be handled without lethal force, she said.

Ade Aina joined the crowd travelling through Winnipeg’s core. He immigrated from Nigeria six months ago.

“One of the expectations you have in coming here is… an environment that (is) more secure,” Aina said, adding Opaso’s death was “quite shocking.”

Segun Olude, who’s also from Nigeria, said he wonders how Opaso’s death will affect parents thinking of sending their children to Winnipeg, and those who already have.

“We know that Canada is a safe place,” Olude said. “But when something like this happens, it rattles the whole community.”

The student’s death “should never have happened,” and there must be changes to crisis responses, Olude added.

Opaso’s parents advocated for systemic reforms earlier this month.

Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth defended the force’s handling of mental health-related calls during a Jan. 4 news conference.

He said officers are well-trained and that such situations rarely result in use of force or injury.

“Black lives matter” and “justice now” were among the chants cried during the rally Saturday.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Gabrielle Piché
Reporter

Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.

Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.