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

Montreals 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 providethe protest route as required by a city bylaw.

Despite warnings from police, protestersbegan marchingshortly after 3 p.m. local time and were quickly surrounded and detained by the riot squad.

The protest held for the 19thstraight year began outside the Berri bus terminal, atthe same spot where Alain Magloire, a homeless man with mental health issues, died last yearafter a confrontation with officers.

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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 protestwas also declared illegal and broken up almost immediately, resulting in about 150 people surrounded and detained by riot police. The 2012 march endedwithmore than 250 arrestsand 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 theInternational Day Against Police Brutality, issued a statement accusingthe 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 Magloirewas killed because his death is an example of police acting with "impunity."

Magloirewas shot and killed by police on Feb. 3, 2014 outside the bus terminal onBerriand Ontario streetswhen he refused to drop the hammer he was wielding.

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

The Collective Opposed to Police Brutalityis planning a second protest next Sunday, at nearly the same time and place as the city'sSt. 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."