Shooting brings up painful memories of Lapu-Lapu Day for B.C. Filipino group
Filipino BC, a non-profit Filipino community group in British Columbia, expressed support for all those affected by the shooting.
The group said that after the Lapu-Lapu Day car-ramming in Vancouver last year, in which 11 people were killed and dozens injured, “we came to understand how violence at a cultural celebration leaves wounds that reach far beyond those who were present.”
“No community should have to experience violence while celebrating its culture,” the group said in a post on Instagram, adding that “every cultural festival should remain a place of joy, belonging, and hope.”
That sentiment was echoed by Matlow, who told CBC Radio, “we can’t allow our free society to change in a way where we aren’t able to gather, celebrate, enjoy each other’s company” after the Salsa on St. Clair shooting.
“We need to continue to figure out how to do that more safely, and that’s what we need to be focusing on,” he said.
