Police detain 258 protesters at police brutality march

Photo courtesy of Adam Scotti

Tuesday's march against police brutality began peacefully downtown when 500 marchers started at Jeanne Mance Street and de Maisonneuve Boulevard and walked towards Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

The march soon grew violent as protesters hurled projectiles and snowballs and cops, and police stopped the march at 6:40 p.m. by using stun grenades on St. Denis Street, between Marie-Anne Street and Mon-Royal Ave.

Organizers are calling for a public inquiry into the way the police handled the situation.

258 people were arrested, but all have since been released. Only six people were charged under the Criminal Code, and the large majority, over 200 people, have been charged with road safety violations. This is the second-highest number of arrests since the annual march began in 1997. Last year, 100 people were arrested.