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Students wear red in solidarity


A UBCO student is asking his peers to come together in solidarity and show support of those affected by the tragedy that took place in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Tom Macauley, returned home from a trip to the U.S. yesterday and as he arrived back in Canada he was accosted by the news of an attack on his home soil.

“Like a lot of people I was scared of what happened,” Macauley explains. “So I got to thinking  about it and I just had this great sense of how lucky I am to live in a country where this thing is a rare occurrence, but it definitely brings us together.”

He hopes to bring everyone together at UBCO by asking them to wear red on Friday in support of Canada and in remembrance of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.

“Just seeing how they (the media and officials) have been reporting the story and how carefully they have been treating people who have been involved with it, it makes me proud to be Canadian,” says Macauley. “So on my way to school today I thought we should do something about it and wearing red is a simple way to do it.”  

UBCOSU President Rocky Kim was just in Ottawa last week, and says it was scary to think how close he was to this tragedy.

“People usually feel so disconnected by events like this because they think it will never affect ‘myself’, next thing you know I will be like ‘oh it happened in Ottawa I don’t live in Ottawa but I was in Ottawa last week,” explains Kim.

Kim also says he has friends who work on Parliament Hill and who were inside when the incident occurred.

“It hit very close to home, but I think the correct reaction is the Canadian reaction which is to say ‘let's come together and let's show the world how a country properly reacts.”

The two students hope others around the Okanagan will join them in their Movement to Wear Red on Friday and show solidarity for those affected by the tragedy in Ottawa.

Check out their Facebook page here.



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