Report reveals disturbing acts of racism on Quebec teen hockey team

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Report reveals disturbing acts of racism on Quebec teen hockey team

A teammate reportedly placed his knee on the Black teenager’s neck, releasing him after he said "I can't breathe."

James O'Brien·Contributing Writer
Fri, October 27, 2023 at 7:23 PM EDT·2 min read

Justine Mercier, a reporter for French publication Le Droit, recently unearthed deeply disturbing racist acts by teenage hockey players in Gatineau, Que. In one case during the 2021-22 season, a player knelt on a Black teammate’s neck, only releasing him after the victim evoked George Floyd’s death by saying “I can’t breathe.”

In May 2020, Floyd died in Minnesota after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his back and neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd’s death inspired widespread racial justice protests in the U.S. and around the world.

Mercier obtained a Hockey Quebec report that indicated there were at least 14 racist incidents targeting two Black members of Gatineau Intrepid (Intrépide de l'Outaouais), an under-15 team. Incidents ranged from uttering slurs such as the N-word to making references to slavery.

Mercier reports that, after several months of incidents, the two Black hockey players left the team. Meanwhile, the players who committed the racist actions received suspensions.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/report-reveals-disturbing-acts-of-racism-on-quebec-teen-hockey-team-232312673.html