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Peaceful anti-police brutality protest hits Montreal

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20th Montreal anti-police brutality protest
WATCH ABOVE: The 20th annual march against police brutality descends on Montreal’s streets Tuesday night. Global's Elysia Bryan-Baynes reports – Mar 15, 2016

MONTREAL – The annual march against police brutality  hit Montreal’s streets Tuesday night.

Demonstrators started with a BBQ and picnic in Parc La Fontaine that included kids and families.

“Peoples’ anger towards police is legitimate and we shouldn’t ignore it or turn a blind eye to it,” one protestor told Global News.

Hundreds of residents took part in this year’s peaceful demonstration to mark 20 years of the anti-police brutality march.

Officers  weren’t given a  protest route, but citizens  wound their way through the roads for several hours undisturbed.

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“We are concerned citizens, not criminals,” Alexandre Paradis, founder of homeless advocacy group S.O.S. itinérant told reporters.

The annual protest has been a scene of violence and mass arrests in the past, often ending with smashed-in storefronts and damaged cars.

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READ MORE: Montreal march against police brutality ends with 1 arrest, 94 tickets

In 2015, there was one arrest, nearly 100 tickets were given out and several police cars were vandalized.

The march was declared illegal as soon as it began.

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