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KAMLOOPS, B.C. — As her son's 40 years played out before her in photos and song, Zofia Cisowski told mourners the story of Robert Dziekanski's life at his funeral Saturday.
"This is at home . . . This is my brother's wife . . . Robert was a godfather," she explained in a strong, but tear-choked voice.
Friends had worried the grief-stricken mother wouldn't be able to attend the funeral, but she sat in the front row, flanked and supported by friends and family.
Dziekanski died after he was tasered and restrained by four RCMP officers at Vancouver International Airport Oct. 14.
Speakers shared stories about his life and expressed their frustration, anger and outrage over how he died.
Dziekanski was born an only child in Bielawa, a small town of 30,000 in southwest Poland near the Czech border.
His voyage to Kamloops to live with his mother was the first time Dziekanski had left his country.
He arrived in Canada with only three suitcases. In one, he packed clothing and gifts. The other two were filled with geography books, atlases and Polish geography magazines.
"I have it on good authority that he knew more about Canada than most of us that live here," said Father Nicholas Forde.
Dziekanski read voraciously, and North America and Canada were his favourite subjects.
Cisowski's friend Jurek Baltakis said Dziekanski spent over nine hours at the airport before his death, "lost, confused, thirsty and hungry, and ignored by all."
Baltakis' disbelief and anger were echoed by other speakers.
"We all share similar sentiments regarding the manner in which his life came to a catastrophic and abrupt end. After seven years of waiting, (Dziekanski) arrived to his utopia, Vancouver. Ten hours later, he was dead.," said the Polish consul-general, Maciej Krych.
"We support (institutions), we defend them, but they are not always just. They failed Robert," Father Waldemar Karciarz told the mourners.
"What happened the other day to that lovely son of yours was brought about by a whole slew of misunderstandings, ordinances that added up to nothing, that read well on a piece of paper but put into practice were just foolish," Father Forde echoed.
Ludwik Tokarczuk, president of the Polish-Canadian Kongres of B.C., promised that the people responsible for Dziekanski's death will be brought to justice.
His wife, Danuta, called the airport, customs officials' and RCMP's actions inexcusable.
"I'm appalled that such a simple procedure . . . would end up in such a tragic way," she said. "Somebody died and it shouldn't happen. I'm angry.
"The Polish community and the community at large are expecting some answers and demanding that the agencies involved will admit that what happened was wrong, and also to make sure that this will not occur in the future."
Trudy Dirk, formerly of the Kamloops Immigrant Society, said she was sad that Canada let down a woman who was so devoted to her adopted country.
"Robert was her shining light," she said. "A day that should have been one of the happiest of her life turned into a terrible, heartbreaking tragedy.
"I'm appalled by the events that led to Robert's death."
Ricki Bagnall, also spoke at the memorial service. His son Robert died after being tasered by police in a Vancouver hotel room in 2004.
"The deaths of our sons has become a focal point in an international anti-Taser campaign. People all over the world are taking note of the brutal side effects of this supposedly less-than-lethal form of subjugation," Bagnall said.
After the service, a red-eyed and unsteady Cisowski spoke briefly to the media.
"I just like to thank you all who came today to Robert's ceremony. I hope that everyone will remember my son Robert as a good, loving boy, a good, loving human being. My family loved him so much they cry all the time.
"I love him so much."
Half of Dziekanski's ashes will be laid to rest in Kamloops. His mother will take the other half to be buried in Poland.
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Video to Oprah for Robert Dziekanskiby Russellmarz2,268 views
Plain and simple: those "protect and serve" officers didnt made any atempt to end it in
civilized manner, get him some help or calming him down. They just killed him, tho unintentionally but nether than less killed him (but without any effort of ressusitating him we could argue about it).
PartyPLZZ 2 years ago
Don't be angry at tyme2reup, he's just a kid saying whats on his little immature mind. The fact is those ppl around robert wasnt affraid of him, woman, A WOMAN, stepped closer to him trying to get him calm but due to the lack of communication she couldn't do too much.
The gurds in yellow suite wasnt affraid of him too, they didnt made any deffensive stands and even one of them at some point was standing back to Robert and talking to the other guard.
PartyPLZZ 2 years ago
tyme2reup it's obvious you are either with a police force or inhuman. Robert was murdered plain and simple for not speaking english and being lost. He was killed by 4 thugs dressed up in RCMP uniforms expressing their need to control, their penchant for violence and with the assurance that they couldn't be touched. His death has exposed the criminal and corrupt activity of the RCMP from the bottom up. My heart goes out to his mother.
boobear46 2 years ago
The cops DID serve and protect. They SERVED the public by PROTECTING them from a very potentially threatening situation. None of you seem to grasp what goes on in the world today . Look at the incident on the bus with the man getting beheaded which I believe was in Canada. Cops have to take a precautious approach in order to avoid potential tragedy. But then again, you're Canadians and you dont really know much about the big bad world.
tyme2reup 3 years ago
You are all wrong. They are To serve and protect, but they didn't do it this time. SHAME
jazu40 3 years ago
Think for a minute how you would feel if police didnt react ,,and someone did pose a serious threat whereby many many people could be killed. Then it would be a totally different story coming from you all. The police have to make decisions based on potential danger to many people. Why do you think an airplane would be shot down from the sky if there was a chance of danger to people on the ground ? You're basically a bunch of hypocrites and / or bleeding hearts. Grow up and face reality.
tyme2reup 3 years ago
All this stuff about how people would feel if they had been on a long flight, no food , no speaking English,, is beside the POINT. Airport employees and police ARE NOT there to babysit in cases such as this. These things should have been taken care of by family. Did this man not realize how acting , even a little bit offcentre, could cause a severe reaction by the police? If he didnt , then he had no business travelling by himself in this day and age of high security.
tyme2reup 3 years ago
I wonder how the fuck you would feel after a 12-hour flight, no sleep for 48-hours and a major jetleg in a country where nobody understands you and keep your unarmed ass in the terminal for over 10 hours. How many of those locals would call you abnormal. Those airport pigs should have the taser stuck on their balls. Fucking, ignorant animals, including you, ass-wipe! I am ashamed to be Canadian :(
Giardintek 3 years ago
Poor guy. This is by NO MEANS acceptable, all those pigs should be fired and charge because this is bullshit
speedlight41079 3 years ago 2