A defaced statue of Queen Victoria lies on the ground after being toppled outside the provincial legislature in Winnipeg. Reuters

Gulf Today Report

Canadians on Thursday pulled down statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth as they protested against the recoveries of hundreds of children’s remain at former indigenous schools.

Before pulling down the statues the crowd chanted that there should be no pride in genocide.

Canadians every year mark July  1 as Canada Day but this year many cities cancelled the  celebrations and protested against the injustice done to indigenous children by the colonial rulers in the past.

Most of the protesters were dressed in orange clothing.They all kicked the toppled statues and danced around them.

Outside the Manitoba provincial legislature in Winnipeg a crowd booed as Queen Victoria's statue fell down.

They put red paint hand mark on the pedestal and a statue of Queen Elizabeth nearby was also pulled down.

Elizabeth is Canada's current head of state, while Victoria ruled from 1837 to 1901, during the time when Canada was under British rule.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the day a time for reflection.

Trudeau in his Canada Day message said the discoveries of children’s remains at the former schools have made us reflect on our nation's historical failures.

“Injustices still exist for indigenous peoples and many others in Canada,” he said.

At former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan almost 1,000 unmarked graves have been found.

Thses schools then were mainly run by the Catholic Church and funded by the government.