Hundreds of Winnipeggers joined ‘Justice for Colten’ rallies following the acquittal of Gerald Stanley, the Saskatchewan farmer accused of killing Colten Boushie, sparking national outrage.
A rally is being held at The Forks Saturday in what organizers are calling ‘a national call for action.’
READ MORE: 'Justice for Colten' rallies underway across the country
“We are asking for changes to the Canadian criminal justice system and justice for the family of Colten Boushie,” organizers of the rally said in a release in response to the verdict.
A jury in Battleford, Sask. deliberated for 13 hours Friday before finding Stanley not guilty of second degree murder in the 2016 death of Colten Boushie, a resident of the Red Pheasant First Nation.
Stanley,56, testified that he fired warning shots to scare the group off. He said the fatal shot occurred when he reached into the SUV to grab the keys out of the ignition and his gun "just went off."
The not-guilty verdict has sparked outraged and several “Justice for Colten” rallies are planned across the country.
After the rally at The Forks, there will be a march to the Law Courts and from there, to the RCMP D Division headquarters on Portage Avenue.
The rally and march is expected to last until 5 p.m.
-With files from The Canadian Press
