$3 million for protesters whose rights were violated by Montreal police

The City of Montreal will pay more than 3 million dollars to hundreds of demonstrators whose rights have been violated by the municipal police.

The settlement will end eight longstanding class action lawsuits against the city that allege participants in six protests were unlawfully arrested or detained by police and denied other basic rights.

The law firm representing the group members said earlier this week in a court-approved notice that the city will also post an apology on its website acknowledging that “certain actions” by city police and city government violated the fundamental rights of the protesters.

The protests, which took place between June 2012 and March 2014, included marches against police brutality and a city bylaw limiting demonstrations, as well as a protest on the one-year anniversary of the start of student protests against rising tuition.

The settlement must still be approved by the Superior Court of Quebec. A hearing is scheduled for December 21.

The City of Montreal has agreed to pay a total of $6 million to settle the eight lawsuits as well as eight other similar class actions.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on November 26, 2022.