Montreal police accused of protest sabotage
More than 100 people face fines or criminal charges after Monday evening's march through east-end Montreal.
The protest started peacefully but escalated after some people threw beer bottles at police, and lobbed firecrackers at their patrol horses.
A riot squad called in to quell the crowd arrested several people who were accused of assembling illegally, vandalism, assault and armed assault.
Demonstrator Sophie Sénécal says police deliberately interfered with her group's plan for the evening by arresting the group's communications co-ordinator.
"That deprived us of our main means of communication with protesters," said Sénécal, who is a member of the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality.
"I was called a bloody organizer, and police called some protesters 'dirty punks,'" she said.
Police estimate 300 people showed up for the protest, which marked the International Day Against Police Brutality, held every March 15.
At least four people were arrested prior to the march after officers found Molotov cocktails in their bags, said police Sgt. Ian Lafrenière.
Another group of protesters torched a trailer loaded with construction materials.
There wasn't any major damage after the protest and no one was seriously injured, Lafrenière added.