[Image tweeted by TRT World.]
London (Ontario): Thousands of people of different faiths and religions Friday joined a march organised to support the Muslim family killed in a terrorist attack last Sunday.
The procession began at the spot where three generations of a family out for a Sunday evening stroll were killed in London, southern Ontario, as they waited to cross the street - 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman, and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal.
The only survivor is Fayez, a nine-year-old, who is in hospital with serious injuries.
People in London, Ontario marched about 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the spot where the family was struck down to a nearby mosque, the site close to where Veltman was arrested by police.
Some carried placards with messages reading 'Hate has no home here', 'Love over hate.' Similar events were held in other cities in Ontario, Canada's most populous province.
The march against racism and Islamophobia culminated at London’s mosque, about 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) away.
The demonstrators, who included families with children, banged on drums while others sang John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance”.
After a moment of silence marking the time of the tragedy, representatives from several religions gave speeches denouncing hatred and saluting the outpouring of support for London’s 30,000-strong Muslim community.
Other rallies or vigils in Canada on Friday took place in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec, where a shooting in a mosque left six dead in 2017.
Canada Police had earlier said the killings were premeditated as the 20-year-old driver, identified as Nathaniel Veltman, was wearing a vest that looked like body armour.
Veltman could face terrorism charges even though he has already been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one attempted murder.
"We believe this was an intentional act. The victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith," said the city's police chief.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had called the incident a “terrorist attack”.
"This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities," Trudeau said during a speech at the House of Commons.
The Afzaal family’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
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