The Current

The Current for June 3, 2020

Today on The Current: Democracy and protests in U.S.; Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly; Vancouver Island man grieves brother and cousin killed in Chicago; National affairs panel on political response to anti-racism protests; Disinformation online about the unrest
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Full Episode Transcript

Today on The Current

Is democracy under threat in America? National Review columnist John Fund and Professor of History Ruth Ben-Ghiat discuss, but first we speak with Jadé, an activist in Philadelphia, about what she saw in the thick of protests this week. 

Then, at the root of the current Black Lives Matter protests in Canada and the United States is a chasm of mistrust between many in black communities and the police. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly discusses calls for policing reform, and how trust might be rebuilt.

Plus, Dionte Jelks is originally from Chicago, but now lives with his wife and three boys on Vancouver Island, where he works as a school principal. Jelks' brother and cousin were shot and killed in Chicago on Sunday, but the combination of the unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic means he can't return home to grieve with his family.

Also, our national affairs panellists weigh in on anti-racism protests and the response from politicians. We talk to Niigaan Sinclair, columnist for The Winnipeg Free Press; Susan Delacourt, national columnist for The Toronto Star; and Le Devoir columnist Emilie Nicolas.

And Jane Lytvynenko, a senior reporter at Buzzfeed News, explains how to sort fact from fiction in the stream of information coming out of these protests.