Montreal demonstrators denounce police violence amid misconduct allegations

MONTREAL – Several dozen demonstrators gathered in downtown Montreal to denounce police violence, amid renewed scrutiny of misconduct allegations involving city police officers.

The protest at Phillips Square, a public square along one of Montreal’s busiest shopping streets, was initially organized in solidarity with student demonstrators in France.

But speakers also condemned police violence in Montreal and the treatment of vulnerable people.

The rally came a day after Montreal police confirmed that two officers had been suspended amid misconduct allegations, including a report that one allegedly urinated on a person experiencing homelessness.

Frédéric Audet, a spokesperson for a Université de Montréal student association, denounced police violence against student protesters in France and Quebec.

Indigenous activist Émilie Fleming-Dubé also addressed the crowd, denouncing police violence against marginalized communities and calling for greater attention to homelessness.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest rising living costs and deteriorating school conditions, with clashes between police and demonstrators leading to about 400 arrests.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.

— with files from the Associated Press