N環球 
Montréal rally at Phillips Square denounces police violence, backs French students
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Saturday at Phillips Square in downtown Montréal in solidarity with France's student protests and to denounce police violence amid new SPVM misconduct allegations; hundreds of thousands marched across France, with about 400 arrests.
Why it matters
The Saturday (Oct. 17) rally began as solidarity with students protesting across France but pivoted into a direct denunciation of Montréal police (SPVM) violence after fresh misconduct allegations against two downtown officers. It took place at Phillips Square, near Rue Sainte-Catherine in downtown Montréal.
Full report
Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and flags of France's left-wing La France Insoumise party, chanting "Solidarity with the students of France" and "No police in our protest." Nicolas Ferron, 22, a Paris native, said: "I would have liked to be there with my friends and family, but I'm glad today's demonstration is happening."
In France, hundreds of thousands took to the streets Saturday to protest the rising cost of living and deteriorating school conditions. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez put nationwide turnout at about 550,000 across 110 demonstrations; organizers, including labour unions and student groups, estimated 800,000. Clashes broke out in several cities, including Paris, with about 400 people arrested nationwide.
In Montréal, the turning point was a scandal reported by La Presse on Friday: two officers from downtown's Station 21 were suspended and placed under internal investigation, with one accused of urinating on homeless people sleeping on the street while on duty, allegedly recording himself humiliating them over 18 months. The SPVM confirmed the two suspended officers are from Station 21 and launched an internal investigation.
Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Friday the allegations "offend the dignity to which everyone is entitled" and commended the officers who reported the incidents. The SPVM's Professional Standards Division is investigating; neither officer has been charged with an offence.
Separately on Saturday, hundreds of Quebec students — including FECQ president Abdelmajid El-Mouhib — also gathered at Phillips Square demanding more student financial aid, paid internships and action on student food and housing insecurity, extending France's campus protest wave to Quebec.
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