March held in memory of murdered, missing women

Demonstrators marched through downtown Prince George Saturday to draw attention to the plight of murdered and missing women across Canada.

Drumming, singing and holding signs that read "Am I Next?" and "No More Stolen Sisters", the protest was held in solidarity with the 25th annual Downtown Eastside Women's Memorial March. According to the Canadian Press, the Vancouver demonstration remembers aboriginal women who have died or gone missing in the notorious section of that B.C.'s city, including victims of serial killer Robert Pickton.

Memorial March organizers reiterated their call for a national public inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women.

"We're walking in memory for the sisters, the mothers, the daughters, the grandmothers that have gone missing and continue to be murdered today and the injustices that are happening from the federal government all the way done to the street," said Arnold Yellowman, an organizer. "We're bringing the march North."

Yellowman also pointed to the ongoing concerns surrounding the so-called Highway of Tears, the stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert marked by the murders and disappearances of women over a number of years.

He cited recent criticism of the provincial government over cuts to the RCMP budget that apparently have trickled down to the E-PANA task force, which is tasked with investigating 18 cases along the highway.

According to the Canadian Press, at its height E-PANA had 70 officers; 12 officers, along with support staff, are currently assigned to the investigation.

The provincial government has said the RCMP was consulted about the cuts and it is up to the force to allocate its resources.