Montreal Filipino community holds vigil to mourn victims of Vancouver festival attack

Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal secretary Jeannette Perignon speaks about the local reaction to the tragedy in Vancouver.

Montreal’s Filipino community is holding a prayer vigil and townhall Monday evening to mourn the victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack in Vancouver.

“It was terrible. I was shocked because our Filipino community is quite peaceful,” said Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal Secretary Jeannette Perignon.

• READ MORE: Suspect charged with murder in Vancouver Filipino festival attack

She says she can’t recall another time in Canada’s history when the Filipino community was targeted on such a large scale.

“I really am saddened, and my heart goes out to the families of those who were killed, and those who are injured,” Perignon said. “This is not acceptable.”

On Saturday, 11 people were killed, including a five-year-old child, and dozens more were injured when a man charged an SUV into festivalgoers.

• Read more: Filipino community in mourning after 11 killed at Vancouver festival

The 30-year-old suspect, who is known to police and has a history of mental health difficulties, was arrested on site.

He is facing eight counts of second-degree murder, with more charges to possibly follow.

PINAY, the Filipino Women’s Organization of Quebec, says it hopes Monday’s vigil will bring people together so they can heal collectively.

“We aim to bring our Montreal kababayan and community together to express our grief and outrage as we continue to learn new developments about the incident in Vancouver,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “We denounce this violence act and call for swift justice for the victims and their families.”

• Read more: Vancouver mayor orders review of safety measures at festival where 11 killed

The vigil is set to take place at the Dr. José P. Rizal Statue in Parc Mackenzie-King at 6 p.m.