Montreal march against police brutality ends with 1 arrest, 94 tickets

Montreal’s annual march against police brutality Sunday was declared illegal as soon as it got underway and ended with one arrest and nearly 100 tickets being given out to demonstrators.

Authorities said organizers of the march failed to provide the protest route as required by a city bylaw.  

Despite warnings from police, protesters began marching shortly after 3 p.m. local time and were quickly surrounded and detained by the riot squad.

The protest — held for the 19th straight year — began outside the Berri bus terminal, at the same spot where Alain Magloire, a homeless man with mental health issues, died last year after a confrontation with officers. 

• Alain Magloire inquiry: Expert defends police actions
• VIDEO: Alain Magloire's last minutes before being shot dead by Montreal police

As protesters split into different directions, police quickly surrounded a group of about 30 people, who were put onto waiting city buses without incident.

Police said a total of 94 tickets were issued, 92 out for Highway Safety Code violations because of protesters blocking the street. Two were ticketed under bylaw P-6, which makes it illegal for demonstrators to cover their faces.

One person was charged with a Criminal Code violation, and eight police cars were vandalized during the demonstration.

Police spokesman Ian Lafreniere said he was pleased this year's demonstration ended without violence.

"I would love to tell you that nobody had been apprehended and that people were able to share their messages with nobody doing anything illegal, but unfortunately this is not the case," he said. "But we're happy that nobody was injured, and by 5:30 p.m. everything was over," he said.

​Last year's protest was also declared illegal and broken up almost immediately, resulting in about 150 people surrounded and detained by riot police. The 2012 march ended with more than 250 arrests and 150 people fined $637 for participating in an illegal event.

Montreal police said Saturday on Twitter it hadn't received an itinerary from organizers for this year, making the protest illegal under the city's controversial municipal bylaw P-6.

The Collective Opposed to Police Brutality, which organizes the march to mark the International Day Against Police Brutality, issued a statement accusing the police of political repression for declaring the march illegal before it had started.

The group said it chose to hold the demonstration near the site where Magloire was killed because his death is an example of police acting with "impunity."

Magloire was shot and killed by police on Feb. 3, 2014 outside the bus terminal on Berri and Ontario streets when he refused to drop the hammer he was wielding.

None of the officers involved were charged and an inquiry into his death is underway in Montreal.

The Collective Opposed to Police Brutality is planning a second protest next Sunday, at nearly the same time and place as the city's St. Patrick's Day parade.

Scouts Canada has already said its troops won't take part in this year's festivities due to a "risk of potential violence."