Protests over curfew result in six arrests, 192 tickets

Montreal police arrested six people and handed out 192 tickets for infractions of COVID-19 health regulations Monday night during a second evening of protests against Montreal's government-ordered 8 p.m. curfew.

Police on Tuesday morning said five people were arrested on allegations of obstructing police officers while a sixth person was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

A total of 192 tickets were issued for health-regulation violations, while 17 general infraction reports were submitted to the Crown prosecutor's office to determine whether charges should be laid.

One police officer was reported slightly injured in clashes with protesters, which saw a demonstration planned for Old Montreal drift up into the city's downtown core after far fewer protesters showed up than the previous evening.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to social media Tuesday to thank police for their quick reaction to Monday night's protest, noting that while the right to protest is fundamental, “it is possible to exercise it calmly . ... No mayhem is tolerated and our merchants do not deserve it.”

On Sunday night, a far larger protest in Old Montreal saw vandals damage and sometimes loot neighbourhood stores and set fire to trash cans and city benches.