I never imagined that the Taiji sword would be regarded as a "murder weapon" in Canada...
On Monday, May 30, a Chinese woman was dancing Tai Chi sword fitness in a park in Ottawa, Canada, and after a while, the police arrived and tried to arrest her!
Image source: CTV NEWS
A post on Reddit described the entire incident, with the poster writing:
Image source: Reddit
The police were very unreasonablely aggressive and repeatedly threatened to arrest the Chinese woman if she did not follow their instructions. The problem is that she obviously doesn't speak English. I told the police she might speak Cantonese or Mandarin, so they should find an interpreter.
The police did eventually let someone talk to her on the phone. But throughout, the old lady kept signaling that if they returned her sword to her, she would leave. I could easily tell that was what she was trying to convey, but the police obviously couldn't. The officer who deals with her is most interested in keeping a distance from her while aggressively telling her: I've reached my limit! You'll be arrested.
Finally, they had a police officer call to explain to her what she had done wrong and kicked her out of the park. It's ridiculous to see this with your own eyes. And she probably won't be back in the park. This is sad. We need more seniors (and others) to play tai chi in our park, not less. ”
Umar Muhammad, a witness, said he often saw the Chinese woman in this park, she was just exercising, she didn't get into trouble. And by the time the police arrived, the Taiji sword had been folded up and placed inside the bag. But the police are still on the verge of a great enemy, which makes Umar Muhammad feel ridiculous.
Image source: CTV NEWS
Umair Muhammad said: "The police were too fussy. Maybe this park is a bit famous, and they have reason to be vigilant here, but there is also reason to look at the situation calmly. And I don't know why the language barrier caught the police off guard, we were clearly only a block or two from Chinatown. ”
The incident occurred in Dundonald Park, Ottawa, Image source: CTV NEWS
The incident caused an uproar on social media. Many netizens left messages expressing dissatisfaction:
Someone dissed the officer involved directly: "If someone in the park plays tai chi and you get to the limit, then maybe it's time to realize that coping is not the right job for you." ”
"Officer, you look too stressed, don't you think about practicing tai chi (decompression)?"
"So how exactly are you going to deal with the real threat?" By joining them? ”
"I lived in that park for 15 years and since then, the crowd of people playing tai chi has been there... (So why don't the cops know it yet?) ）”
"For at least the past five years, the lady has been practicing regularly at Dundonald Park. I think she's in her 70s or even 80s and probably just over 5 feet tall. Her sword is clearly a lightweight practice sword for exercise, not a viable weapon (umbrellas are all more powerful than it). Sadly, if OPS hadn't given up on community policing, they might have known she was a local regular. Seeing her and other tai chi practitioners there in the summer is one of the few delightful spots in Dundonald Park. I can understand why a person who knows nothing about parks or Chinese culture would be terrified to see someone practicing martial arts there. But seeing the police's reaction, seeing them do nothing about the dozens of burly white extremists who marched in Kent this winter — extremists armed with weaponizable 10-foot flagpoles and gas canisters — is still a headache. Maybe if we tied a little F-Trudeau flag to her sword, the police would let her go. ”
Netizen comments all from: Reddit
Eduardo Molon, a tai chi instructor in Ottawa, told CTV News: "The ornamental sword used in tai chi is harmless. In my 23 years of practice, I've never seen anyone think of buying a sharp sword for Tai Chi. If you hit yourself with this sword, your arm will break it, and if you poke yourself, it will retract. This is not dangerous for anyone. ”
Li Yukang, executive director of the Chinatown BIA, said it was a "very sad event" "The truth is that someone called the police to report an old lady playing tai chi in the park!" This reflects the very sad truth of our society. This situation will certainly have a negative impact on members of the community who use public places, especially those from minority backgrounds. They may hesitate before exercising again. "Why do we live in a multicultural society like Canada and still don't know a different culture?" That's the problem. ”
Ottawa City Councilwoman Catherine McKenney also posted: "I have asked the police for an explanation. What I'm reading is very worrisome and unfounded.
Source: Twitter
Perhaps under pressure, Steve Bell, the interim chief of the Ottawa Police Department, came out afterwards to explain:
Police received a call at 9:50 a.m. that morning, and the police said a woman in the park was wielding a 75-inch (1.9-meter) long sword. (I was shocked!) What old lady can play with a 1.9-meter-long sword?! Police, are you serious? He then arrived at the park at 9:59 a.m. that day and found the old Chinese woman.
The officer tried to talk to the woman, but there was a language barrier and the conversation between the officer and the woman became intense. Officers later asked the woman to sit on a bench during the investigation. Police eventually contacted a police officer who spoke Cantonese and Mandarin by phone for an interpreter. He said the sword was a foldable ornament that was indeed used to play tai chi. So the sword was returned to the woman. There were no arrests or charges, the old woman left the park voluntarily, and the police did not force her to leave. ”
Police said the incident showed that police were sometimes called up in situations of limited information and misunderstandings. Steve Bell, interim chief of the Ottawa Police Service, said he had requested a full review of the matter. "I have asked for a review from the initial 911 call to the conclusion. It's important that our community looks at this information and considers the impact of barriers like misunderstandings and language, which is something we can all learn. ”
Although the police finally claimed that it was a misunderstanding, the incident was really disgusting.
As a Canada that has always claimed multi-ethnic integration and respect for the living habits of all ethnic minorities, is it too ignorant to even use a tai chi sword as a murder weapon? In the face of an old man who does not speak English, can the attitude of law enforcement be less rude? When witnesses come forward to explain, and the sword has been folded up and placed in a bag, does the police have to react so drastically?
In any case, I hope that this Oolong incident will make the police learn a little common sense and stop making a fuss...