Racism isn’t about the colour of a person’s skin, it has to do with thoughts, ideas and ignorance, participants at a march through the city’s downtown said Thursday.

“Racism takes a much deeper root in the community when it’s allowed,” said Paul Lagace, executive director of Kamloops Immigrant Services.

“It happens to everyone. I consider discrimination mistreatment. It’s a negative path in life. It’s about criticism more than about support. Our goal is to try to make people aware this is still happening.”

Lagace and a group of 60 people left The Grind Coffee House at Seventh Avenue and Victoria Street and marched with police escort to the immigrant services office at First Avenue.

The group waved Canadian flags and signs reading Together We’re Better as they sang, cheered and chanted. Several motorists honked in support as the march passed by.

Participants believe it’s important to let the community know everyone has been discriminated against at one time or another.

Katharina Fink is from Austria and has been called a Nazi on more than one occasion.

“I think people are trying to be funny, but it’s not funny. It’s stereotyping people who are from that country,” she said. Her partner, who is from the Middle East, has been called a terrorist.

Fink believes there are various forms of discrimination, be it sexism, ageism or labelling. She said none is appropriate.

“People don’t want to be labelled anymore,” she said.

Karly Lindgren and Shawna Nevdoff want people to know racism happens every day.

“Sometimes it’s from ignorance and insensitivity. They aren’t meaning to discriminate, but they are,” said Nevdoff. That can be through what people say and how they say it.

Francis Billy started the march with a First Nations prayer while his cousin, Barry Kenoras, performed a cleansing smudge.

Missagh Manshadi, who comes from Iran and follows the Baha’i faith, led the marchers in song.

He said the Baha’i preach the oneness of mankind. He took part in the march to promote that.

As long as the faith has existed, followers have suffered harassment, vilification and even torture and death in the country of Iran, said Manshadi.

The march was held to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. One hundred and eighty Africans were wounded and another 69 killed on that date in 1960 when police opened fire on an anti-apartheid rally in Sharpeville, South Africa.

Six years later the United Nations declared March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Since then, anti-racism rallies have been held around the world to remember those who were murdered.

The first Canadian rally was held in 1989. Immigrant services used to hold a rally in front of the Kamloops Law Courts, but decided a march might attract more attention, said Lagace.