Wow, Is This an Anti-Racist Rally or a Pro-Segregation One?': Read the Controversial Rules for White People at a Canadian Michael Brown Vigil

Are you a white person who wants to protest the situation in Ferguson?

If you were in Ottawa, Canada, on Tuesday night, you would have been asked to clam up and take a backseat position to give black participants center stage, as the National Post reported.

A Tuesday night candlelight vigil for Michael Brown, the black 18-year-old who was fatally shot back in August by a white police officer, came under some fire after the following instructions were posted on the event's Facebook page:

Image via Facebook

“Remember that you are there in support of black folks, so should never be at the centre of anything,” organizers wrote. "White and non-black allies" were asked not to speak with the media and to “stand behind black folks, or between us and the police. If you see a cop harassing a black person, come in and engage. (Chances are they are least likely to arrest you.)”

Reactions on Facebook ran the gamut from outraged to overjoyed.

One Facebook user said the instructions, “changed a lot for me. I will no longer be attending this event or supporting this cause.”

Another user, whom the National Post described as "non-white," said, “Wow, is this an anti-racist rally or a pro-segregation one?”

But other Facebook users, white and black, praised the instructions.

User Tracy Nolan wrote:

I can't believe how the media and so many of the commenters on this page are making this event about White people. Do you think that putting Black voices at the forefront of a conversation about racism against Black people is wrong? Honestly, if we (white people) can't stand to not be "front and centre" for once...well...you can finish the rest of that thought. The media needs to check their privilege. As an ALLY I was grateful to have the wishes of the organizers made clear from the beginning.

Another user wrote, "So many white tears about the rules for allies... Why can't you let black folk stand in the centre and let their voices be heard, just for once."

After the event, a third Facebook user went so far as to say, "Saw White ppl talking to the media. Did your egos get in the way of your ability to follow the rules?"

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Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter