Edmonton, September 2024
Edmonton has joined the growing wave of protests across Canada, as Ugandans in the city rallied against the oppressive regime of President Yoweri Museveni. This comes in direct response to the recent attempt on the life of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, who was shot at by Ugandan police on the outskirts of Kampala on September 3, 2024. The Edmonton protest, organized by National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters, is part of a coordinated movement across Canada demanding international intervention in Uganda’s deepening political crisis.
Protesters gathered at Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton, waving Ugandan flags and holding signs with messages like “Museveni Must Go,” “Stop the Violence in Uganda,” and “Justice for Bobi Wine.” Led by local NUP leaders, the demonstrators marched to Alberta’s Legislature Building, where they held a rally calling for the Canadian government to take immediate action against Museveni’s regime.
One of the protest organizers in Edmonton spoke passionately about the urgency of the situation: “Bobi Wine’s life was nearly taken, and this is a wake-up call to the world. We are here to demand that Canada and the international community intervene before more lives are lost. Uganda is under siege by a dictator, and we cannot stand by and watch.”
The protest in Edmonton, like those in other Canadian cities, was marked by a strong sense of solidarity with Ugandans back home who are living under increasing threats of violence and repression. CMP Publications and Afro Live FM Canada provided live coverage, reporting on the growing momentum behind the protests and the calls for global action to stop the Museveni government’s escalating crackdown on opposition figures and activists.
As Edmonton’s Ugandan community continues to raise its voice, the message is clear: the world must not ignore the ongoing human rights abuses in Uganda, and the time for action is now. The rally ended with a symbolic moment of silence for the victims of the regime’s brutality, with protestors vowing to continue their fight for democracy and justice in Uganda.
With protests now taking place in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Ottawa, and Edmonton, the Ugandan diaspora in Canada has made it clear that they will not be silenced, demanding that the international community step in to hold President Museveni’s government accountable for its actions. As tensions rise, all eyes are on how global leaders will respond to this urgent call for intervention.