Why Is Canada So Quiet About What’s Happening in L.A.?

 🇨🇦 Why Is Canada So Quiet About What’s Happening in L.A.?

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
June 7, 2025

Yesterday, I watched the horrifying footage out of Los Angeles — ICE agents in military gear storming workplaces, detaining people at Home Depot, dragging individuals into vans, while terrified families looked on.

Then came the protests. Brave people took to the streets — chanting, crying, demanding justice. And the response? Tear gas. Riot police. Flash bangs. Arrests. The president of SEIU California, David Huerta, was among those detained.

It looked like history repeating itself. And it felt impossible to ignore.

But today, I woke up and looked around Canada — and heard… almost nothing.

Where are our leaders? Where are the journalists? Where are the artists, writers, academics, and human rights groups we pride ourselves on having? Why are Canadian voices — especially those in power — so quiet about something so cruel happening just across the border?

This Is Not Just a U.S. Problem

We like to think we’re different. Kinder. More progressive. But that’s an illusion.

• We detain refugees in provincial jails.
• We deport people to danger.
• We quietly profit from the same global systems of displacement and inequality.
• And many of us still view people crossing borders out of desperation as "others" — not as neighbours, not as fellow humans.

If we ignore what's happening in the U.S., we normalize it. And we allow those same practices to take root and grow here.

The Silence Is Deafening — And Dangerous

We see Canadian politicians rushing to comment on elections, celebrity gossip, and TikTok regulations — but where are they now? Where is the statement condemning ICE’s military-style raids? Where is the solidarity for families being torn apart?

The mainstream media is barely reporting on it. There are no national headlines. No prime-time interviews. No mass mobilizations. It's like people are afraid to speak — or don’t think it matters.

But it does matter.

It matters because when we stay silent, we’re telling vulnerable people that they are alone. That their suffering isn’t important enough. That their humanity is up for debate.

So Here I Am — Speaking Up

I’m just one person. A Canadian artist, mother, writer. But I can’t sit quietly while people are terrorized and arrested for daring to exist.

I’m calling on:

• Canadian politicians to issue statements of support for those resisting ICE.
• Canadian media to cover these events with the urgency and humanity they deserve.
• Canadian human rights organizations to stand in visible solidarity.
• Fellow artists, creators, educators, and citizens to speak out.

We can’t call ourselves allies, feminists, environmentalists, or progressives if we only show up when it's easy or trendy. Solidarity must be uncomfortable. It must be active.

What Can You Do?

• Share what’s happening. Use your voice and platform, however big or small.
• Write to your MP and demand they speak out.
• Donate to migrant justice groups on both sides of the border.
• Talk to your friends and communities about this. Don’t let it fade.

Because if we ignore this now, we’re helping build a future where human rights don’t mean anything at all.

I won’t look away. And neither should you.

In resistance and hope,
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
#CanadiansAgainstICE #JusticeIsBorderless #NoHumanIsIllegal #SpeakUpCanada