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.
“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.
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.