‘Ottawa’ Community Questions Role of Race in Abdi’s Death
As a community mourns the loss of Abdirahman Abdi, the Somali-Canadian who died in hospital the day after a violent arrest by Ottawa police, there are questions about what role, if any, race played in the altercation.
Those who witnessed the arrest at their Hintonburg doorstep on Sunday morning said they believe Abdi’s treatment at the hands of Ottawa police “seemed” race-related.
It’s the “first thing that comes to mind,” said the family’s spokesperson Nimao Ali prior to the announcement of Abdi’s death on Monday afternoon.
“I think that we all have a lot of questions and through time I’m hoping we’ll get more answers,” she said. “It is important for the community to pull together and say, ‘No, we’re not going to allow this – it has to stop.’
“We have to do right by our victims and whoever is doing something wrong, bring them to justice.”
Public outcry has erupted online in support of Abdi’s family through #JusticeForAbdi.