Bayan Canada declares national day of mourning after Lapu-Lapu massacre
By Contributor
BAYAN Canada is devastated by the tragedy that has hit the Filipino community in Vancouver, BC. On the evening of Saturday, April 26, a driver drove his SUV into the crowd gathered at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, causing 11 confirmed casualties and many more injuries. We grieve with all victims and their loved ones.
Yesterday, BAYAN Canada joined our kababayan in declaring April 27th as Luksang Bayan, or National Day of Mourning for the Filipino community in Canada.
BAYAN Canada members in Vancouver participated in Lapu-Lapu Day celebrations alongside other Filipino organizations, with some witnessing the scene directly. Since Saturday, BAYAN Canada has led vigils with the rest of our Filipino community to honour the lives lost and show our mutual support. Hundreds gathered at the site of the massacre on Sunday evening to honour the victims by laying down flowers and candles.
Filipinos are one of Canada’s largest immigrant populations, with almost one million in the country working in all sectors. April 27th was formally recognized as Lapu-Lapu Day by the Province of British Columbia in 2023. Lapu-Lapu was an Indigenous chief in what is now the Philippines, who resisted early Spanish colonization and defeated Magellan in the Battle of Mactan of 1521. He is now beloved as an anti-colonial hero and symbol of Filipino resilience and resistance. Since 2023, the Lapu-Lapu Day festival has been a massive celebratory gathering for the Filipino community in the Vancouver area.
Residents of the neighbourhood and festival attendees noted that there was insufficient road security at the event and little to no public safety presence. This is especially concerning given that racist posts about the event were circulated on social media in the days leading up to the event. The city and police have a responsibility to investigate such concerns and respond with appropriate safety measures. In our experience, police have been quickly deployed to harass our members at rallies and political gatherings, yet the city failed to set up adequate protections for this festival, which resulted in a lack of security protocol to prevent the tragic events that unfolded.
There are also rumours abounding on social media about the killer’s motivations and mental health. We condemn any use of the “mental health” narrative to justify more state-sponsored harassment of marginalized communities, and to distract from the growing racism and anti-migrant sentiment in Canada. Rather than spreading rumours that may cause further division and trauma, BAYAN Canada calls for a thorough and transparent investigation into the systemic factors that contributed to this preventable massacre. We acknowledge that individual cases of mental health issues are embedded in the societal issues we face, such as poverty, isolation, state violence, and cultural extermination. These systemic issues must be addressed by systemic solutions.
This tragedy has rocked the whole country, but we give special attention to migrant victims, whose families now face the additional burden of repatriating their bodies to the Philippines. Many Filipinos leave the Philippines to escape political repression and poverty and come to Canada in search of safety, health, and prosperity. This unspeakable tragedy is a heavy blow to the Filipino community worldwide. We call upon the Philippine government and consulate to provide swift and immediate financial, legal, and medical support to those directly impacted and their families.
BAYAN Canada also thanks friends and allies of the Filipino community who have gathered to show their support, whether through blood donation drives, fundraising campaigns, or participation in vigils. We encourage all those who are moved by the plight of the Filipino community to join us in the coming days as we continue our efforts to understand this tragedy and respond to the needs of our kababayan.
Luksang Bayan vigils across the country:
Montréal, QC: April 28th, 6pm at Mackenzie King Park (4905 Avenue St-Kevin)
Ottawa, ON: April 28th, 7pm at Parliament Hill (Wellington St)
Toronto, ON: April 29th, 7pm at Nathan Philip Square (100 Queen St W)
Winnipeg, MB: April 29th, 7pm at Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (737 Keewatin St)
Halifax, Nova Scotia: April 29, 7pm at Dingle Park (260 Dingle Rd, Halifax)
Calgary, AB: April 30th, 5pm at Calgary City Hall (800 Macleod Trail SE)
