Montreal Protest Turns Violent, 13 Arrested

0:00Montreal saw 13 arrests Friday night during a protest marking International Workers' Day. A coalition of activists, labor, and community groups kicked things off at 6 p.m. in Victoria Square, calling out what they see as anti-union and discriminatory government policies eroding the social safety net. The crowd marched through downtown under police watch, but tensions rose when some protesters allegedly hurled projectiles at officers and even a pyrotechnic device toward bystanders leading to targeted arrests right away. Around 8.30 p.m. at St. Catherine and Jean Manstreet, things heated up further with more objects thrown at police and trash cans. Blocking their path, officers responded with tear gas to disperse everyone and the scene cleared out minutes later. Organizers included the convergence des lutes, anti-capitalists, and student groups with police confirming their involvement. The preliminary count hit 13 arrests, mostly for armed assault on officers and related charges.

1:00Meanwhile, just blocks away at the bell center, thousands of fans watched the Canadians drop game 6 to Tampa Bay in overtime, one nothing with zero. Issues reported by police, the city kept its poll steady amid the clash. You've been listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news.