Montréal | “March Against Police Brutality” 2019 Turns Awry After Vehicles, Businesses Vandalised

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this video do not reflect those of MTL.911 Emergency Photography in any way. We continually thank our law enforcement for their hard work and dedication to keep the city safe.

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019 – At approximately 18:00 hours, demonstrators began to gather at Norman Bethune Square at the corner of Guy Street and de Maisonneuve Boulevard, close to Concordia University’s Sir George Williams Campus, in the Ville-Marie district of Montréal, QC to attend the opening statements of the 23rd annual March Against Police Brutality, which is organized by the COBP (Collective Opposed to Police Brutality). As usual, the COBP did not cooperate with law enforcement in submitting a route or schedule for the protest, which made it automatically illegal. Although the majority of demonstrators were rather peaceful, several could be seen toting pieces of framing lumber, hockey sticks and bats. SPVM (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal) officers in patrol vehicles and on bicycles stayed a far distance away while monitoring the gathering and at one point closed de Maisonneuve to vehicular traffic.
At 19:00, the protesters took to the downtown streets, chanting phrases such as “No justice! No peace! F**k the police!”, “The police! At the service of the rich and the fascists!” as well as others expressing anti-capitalist sentiments. The protesters headed west on Guy Street and turned north on Sherbrooke Street West, where some began to vandalize city property, such as street signs and garbage cans, as well as private property including vehicles and business windows. One man narrowly avoided being struck with a wooden stick while waiting at a bus stop and a couple were harassed and verbally assaulted after their Tesla was beaten by several protesters at a red light. The march continued eastbound on Peel and then southbound on de Maisonneuve, where protesters pushed an industrial garbage bin into the street, lit its contents on fire and sent it down the boulevard at high speed towards police officers. After leaving the bin in the street, a small group of masked protesters branched off westbound on de la Montagne to circle back onto Sherbrooke, where they happened to find a line of SPVM vehicles full of Intervention Group officers who had been paralleling the march. Fireworks were shot at the police vehicles and the officers were forced to retreat back down the street. What followed was an intensified response aimed at dispersing the demonstrators, with police present on almost every city block to ensure that no further action would be taken by the protesters.
According to the SPVM in a preliminary report, two arrests were made (with charges including mischief and uttering threats), numerous cases of vandalism were under investigation and no injuries were reported.

Footage was taken on March 15, 2019 / Pris le 15 mars 2019.

SOCIAL MEDIA / RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX

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