Montreal police preparing for summer festivals, protests

On Thursday, the SPVM held a technical briefing with media to discuss how to manage crowd control with events and summer festivals on the horizon. 

“There’s been a high rise of every type of public order event in the last couple of years, so yes, our services have been in high demand,” said Insp. Sebastian Chartier, with Montreal police.

“What we do — our job, like I said, is to help people protest and do what they have. When things go to the morning screen, if criminal infractions are done, then our job is to intervene and do what we can. So as soon as there’s any criminal infraction, we do what we can to rectify the situation, at the same time letting people express themselves. So it is a fine balance between the two, which isn’t always easy.”

Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit various Montreal summer events like the Grand Prix, the jazz festival, Osheaga, and more.

The SPVM says the number of protests being held in the city has grown in the last few years, noting an increase in the need for police services.

“In Montreal, we do have a lot of protests, a lot of public events, and one of the beauties of our city is that 99 per cent of those events are fun, they’re peaceful, and people get to express what they have. We do have a very small percentage of events where people will do crimes in such and will intervene in those, but it’s still a very rare occurrence,” Chartier explained.

The SPVM tells CityNews “we confirm that there were 3,418 public order services (events, demonstrations, etc.) in 2024. In 2023, 2,576 public order services were held. Finally, in 2022, the SPVM carried out 1,968 public order services,” an email statement read.

Following the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver, where an SUV plowed into the crowd on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more, Montreal police say they’re continuously planning for all possible situations, and the best ways to keep people safe.

“Events like that and stuff are something we always plan for in the way we intervene. And everyone in Montreal knows that every type of specific event is all the planning we do before that, I explained to you guys. Everything that’s done before a protest is to be able to intervene in every type and to keep people safe,” said Chartier.

CityNews spoke to some Montrealers to gather their thoughts on policing at events. 

“I feel like I’ve seen a good presence here from the street cleaners, the police, and everybody’s active, and I think there’s only so much you can do, and I think they’re trying to do as much as they can,” said one Montrealer.

Another Montrealer said, “Safety, more of creating a space where people can move properly, because for many years that was a real problem at the Jazz Festival, that due to the crowd, you just were not able to move properly. And me walking on a walker, it’s especially important that I feel safe.”

While a third added, “I hope that whatever we do for safety is a balance of what’s actually ethical, or what our city should… I hope that, whether it’s the SPVM or the city, that we behave correctly so we can maintain safety and find a balance.”