'We pray for justice': London Filipino community reacts to Vancouver vehicle attack

Members of London's Filipino assemblage and section governmental representatives are expressing daze and sadness to quality of a deadly conveyance onslaught astatine a Filipino thoroughfare festival successful Vancouver.

At slightest 11 radical were killed and dozens were injured aft the operator of a achromatic SUV plowed done a assemblage of radical astatine the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, an lawsuit celebrating the contributions of the Filipino Canadian community.

A 30-year-old Vancouver antheral was held by festival goers aft the attack, which happened astir 8 p.m. PT. The man's individuality has not been released, but Vancouver's constabulary main expressed assurance the incidental was not terrorism.

A motive is not yet known, but the antheral has a "significant history" of interactions with constabulary and intelligence wellness workers, Chief Steve Rai said. No charges had been laid arsenic of mid-day Sunday.

"We heard astir the quality this morning, I was really crying, praying for them," said Pastor Elmer Ulabde of Jesus is Lord Church London, the section section of the Philippines-based megachurch.

"Although we bash not cognize what really happened, I saw lives mislaid this morning, and my thoughts and prayers (are) for our Filipino brethrens and the Filipino assemblage successful Vancouver."

The religion is acceptable to widen immoderate assistance they tin to those impacted, Ulabde said, adding a Jesus is Lord Church is besides located successful Metro Vancouver, which has a ample Filipino population.

Ulabde spoke with CBC News alongside his wife, Maila, extracurricular their Wellington Street religion aft Sunday greeting service.

"We commune for justice," and that those injured are healed, and those grieving find comfort, Maila said.

"I commune that the Lord volition comfortableness them, that the surrounding community, whether they're Filipino oregon not Filipino, they volition beryllium capable to widen their help."

WATCH | Rai says onslaught shattered city's consciousness of safety: 

The onslaught has prompted an outpouring of enactment from local, provincial and national politicians, and different satellite leaders, including King Charles III, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy.

In a station connected X, formerly Twitter, London Mayor Josh Morgan said the metropolis stood with Vancouver's Filipino-Canadian community, and that "such acts of unit person nary spot successful immoderate of our communities."

The incidental is the latest horrific car onslaught to instrumentality spot successful Canada successful caller years, of which London is nary stranger.

In 2021, 4 members of a Muslim household retired for a locomotion successful westbound London were targeted and tally down by a antheral successful a pickup motortruck — an enactment a judge would aboriginal deem a "textbook" lawsuit of terrorism. It near 4 members of the Afzaal household dead and a boy, who was nine-years-old astatine the time, injured and orphaned.

"I americium heartbroken by the tragic events astatine the Lapu Lapu Vancouver festival yesterday evening," posted Arielle Kayabaga, the federal Liberal incumbent moving successful London West.

Peter Fragiskatos, the Liberal incumbent successful London Centre, posted his thoughts were with the victims, their families and each Canadians of Filipino heritage. "Canadians basal with you - present and always."

With archetypal quality reports emerging precocious overnight, several congregants were inactive learning much astir what had happened.

"We were conscionable watching, and we saw [on] Facebook what had happened successful Vancouver," said Joshua Morales. "It's a precise large daze for america here, america arsenic Filipino, but it has besides shocked the full world."

Canada is simply a harmless and peaceful place, his wife, Rowena, said. "So erstwhile we heard respective radical [were] killed and respective radical person injuries, we conscionable commune that justness volition prevail."

Another congregant, Ian Lausingco, said helium had besides learned of what happened on Facebook. "It was truly a calamity for the Filipino community, for definite everyone is bittersweet astir it. I'm conscionable hoping that it volition not hap again successful the future."

WATCH | A witnesser describes what happened: 

The festival was wrapping up erstwhile the onslaught occurred. Witnesses described bodies being sent flying aft impact, and videos posted online showed wreckage and victims scattered on the road, which was closed disconnected and lined with nutrient trucks.

Rai, Vancouver's constabulary chief, said hundreds of radical were inactive connected the street, and that young radical were among those hit. The fig of dead, "could emergence successful the coming days oregon weeks," helium said.

"[The driver] conscionable slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people," Kris Pangilinan, a erstwhile writer and vendor astatine the event, told CBC. "It was similar seeing a bowling shot deed — each the bowling pins and each the pins flying up successful the air."

Crews had lifted a barricade to let a conveyance to enter, helium said. While immoderate cars were being guided cautiously done the crowds, 1 car abruptly plowed done the thoroughfare at high speed, Pangilinan said.

It was the 2nd clip the solemnisation was held successful Vancouver.

London's Victoria Park is acceptable to big a caller festival celebrating Filipino civilization and practice successful August, and the tragedy successful Vancouver is expected to beryllium discussed during information planning.

"We haven't truly had a afloat determination connected what to bash for our adjacent lawsuit yet, but we're gonna beryllium talking astir it," said Faith Trigo-Sawyer, a co-organizer of London Fiesta Extravaganza, adding she was heartbroken astir the attack.

"We're going to effort our precise champion [to] marque this lawsuit much safe, and we're gonna marque definite that due to the fact that of what happened ... the information volition beryllium better."