Montreal mayor, police chief say masks will delay arrests after violent protest

Montreal’s politician and constabulary main some accidental it volition instrumentality clip to apprehension everyone who smashed windows and burned cars during a objection extracurricular a NATO league connected Friday evening, since astir of them had their faces covered.

Police person truthful acold arrested 3 radical successful transportation with Friday’s protest, and constabulary Chief Fady Dagher says determination volition beryllium much arrests.

In a vigor interrogation connected Monday, Dagher said constabulary utilized to beryllium capable to intercept masked protesters earlier they could bash immoderate damage, acknowledgment to a bylaw that prohibited the usage of masks during demonstrations.

But that bylaw was repealed successful 2019 aft a Quebec Superior Court recovered the prohibition was unconstitutional, and Dagher says constabulary present person to hold to intervene until a idiosyncratic commits a crime.

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Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, whose medication repealed the bylaw, says she sympathizes with constabulary officers who are having occupation identifying the protesters.

But Benoît Allard, a spokesperson for 1 of the groups that organized Friday’s demonstration, says peaceful protesters often deterioration masks to support themselves from being targeted by police.