Community groups and residents in Montreal North are demanding immediate action following allegations of racist and violent behaviour by Montreal police officers against racialized residents, saying urgent steps are needed to restore trust and ensure accountability.
The calls come after Montreal police director Fady Dagher announced late Friday that two officers have been suspended and 14 others reassigned and placed under investigation. The officers are accused of targeting Black and Arab residents in the borough, with allegations including racial profiling and violent treatment during arrests.
Among the most disturbing claims are that some officers cut pieces of dreadlocks from individuals they detained and kept them as trophies.
Residents and advocates say the allegations have sparked outrage in a community already marked by long-standing tensions with police.
“The problem now in Montreal North is a lack of leadership,” said Guillaume André with the Montreal North Multi-Ethnic Community Centre, reflecting concerns that systemic issues persist within Station 39.
Organizations including the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) are calling for urgent dialogue with police leadership.
“A meeting with the SPVM director within 48 hours,” said Fo Niemi, the group’s executive director, outlining one of several demands aimed at addressing the situation quickly and preventing further escalation.
For many in the community, the allegations are both shocking and deeply familiar. “I can’t imagine the fright, the terror, the pain that those young people must have experienced and are experiencing,” said Dr. Anne-Marie Livingstone, a researcher who studies issues affecting racialized communities.’
Several residents say they have personally experienced violence at the hands of police.
“I got dragged by the car by my locks. They dragged me outside and beat me and everything,” said Samuel Bunche, a Montreal North resident.
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Livingstone said such accounts reflect patterns that have circulated in the community for years, including reports of racialized youth being assaulted or driven away from their neighbourhoods.
Demonstrations highlight long-standing concerns over policing
Tensions between police and residents in Montreal North have persisted for decades, coming sharply into focus after the 2008 police shooting of 18-year-old Fredy Villanueva, a Honduran-born teenager. More recently, the death of Abisay Cruz while in custody last year further strained relations.
On Monday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Station 39 to denounce the latest allegations, chanting and holding signs before marching south toward Henri-Bourassa Park, the site of Villanueva’s death.
Organizers said the demonstration reflects not only outrage over recent allegations but also broader concerns about systemic anti-Black racism.
Cassandra Exumé, general coordinator of Hoodstock, addressed the crowd during the march saying, “We have to go beyond words and make sure our mayor is really taking action this time.”
The protest remained largely peaceful, though there were moments of tension with police monitoring the march. Organizers intervened to de-escalate those situations.
Some residents said they were encouraged that the allegations surfaced through internal whistleblowing, but others expressed frustration that similar complaints from community members had gone unaddressed for years.
“This is the bigger issue for me. Who is listening to the voice of the survivors?” said Stéphanie Germain of ÉdoConnexion.
Advocates say the scope of the problem may extend beyond individual officers.
“Well, I know that there’s gangs within these groups,” said civil rights advocate Svens Telemaque, suggesting deeper cultural issues within institutions tied to law enforcement.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has called for an independent inquiry into the allegations, while Quebec Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière said an independent observer appointed by the Quebec government will monitor the process.
Lafrenière said on social media Monday that the observer would follow various stages of the investigation to ensure it proceeds properly, saying people want a “transparent process.”
But the minister added if the probe doesn’t shed full light on the events, he won’t rule out the possibility of a public inquiry.
For many residents, however, concrete action cannot come soon enough.
With trust eroded and anger rising, community members say meaningful change will be key to rebuilding confidence in policing in Montreal North.