11 arrested following Montreal protest
MONTREAL— Quebec authorities spoke out Monday about the need to fight racism, while condemning the looting and vandalism that followed a Montreal demonstration demanding justice for a Black man who died following a police intervention in Minnesota.
Eleven people were arrested after tensions flared between pockets of protesters and police on Sunday night following a demonstration to denounce racism and police impunity in both Canada and the United States.
Speaking on Monday, Premier François Legault called on Quebecers to fight racism — even as he denied the existence of systemic discrimination in his province.
“All humans are equal, are all the same, regardless of the colour of their skin,” said Legault, who described George Floyd’s death as “shocking and revolting.”
But in contrast to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who bluntly stated Monday that “anti-Black racism is real” and “systemic discrimination is real,” Legault continued to deny the existence of systemic racism in his province.
“I think that there is some discrimination in Quebec, but there’s no systemic discrimination, no system in Quebec of discrimination,” he said.
On Sunday afternoon, thousands of people marched through downtown Montreal, waving signs and chanting “Black lives matter” as they denounced the treatment of racialized people in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
While the formal rally took place without incident, the situation later degenerated when some protesters smashed windows and lit fires and were met with pepper spray and tear gas from officers.
Montreal police said Monday that nine of the arrests were for breaking and entering, one was for armed assault and one was for mischief. Police declared the gathering illegal about three hours in, after they say projectiles were thrown at officers.