Filipinos march the streets of Montreal in support of Cagadoc family

Over 80 members of the Filipino community and their supporters demonstrated in Cote-des-Neiges, the heart of Montreal's Filipino community, to support Luc Cagadoc and his family. Seven year old Luc Cagadoc was punished unfairly for eating his food with a fork and spoon, a customary way of eating for Filipinos.

The Cagadoc family was also present during the march. Theresa Gallardo, mother of Luc Cagadoc, said, "We are so happy to see our Filipino community support us, it gives us inspiration!" Until now, there has been no move on the part of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board to apologize for the incident.

"There is a need to demonstrate to show that, as Filipinos, we demand that our children are respected and are accessing quality education," says Emmanuel Macarine, member of Kabataang Montreal, a local Filipino youth organization, "our voices must be heard and it has to be known that this cannot be tolerated.

Throughout the march, demonstrators chanted, "Immigrants in, racists out!" and "C-S-M-B, we demand apology!" and collected over 100 signatures in their petition demanding a public apology to the Cagadoc family and a racism-free environment for their children.

"In a country that prides itself on being multicultural, we should not be forced to conform our eating to the dominant, colonial, and imperialist culture," states Rodney Patricio, member of Kabataang Montreal, a local Filipino youth organization.

Kabataang Montreal has been challenging the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board to hold a open community dialogue and has held a community forum on the issue of racism in the schools. Their organization is calling for a racism-free environment in the schools, access to quality education, and a public apology to the Cagadoc family and the Filipino community,

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