Clashes with police at Rad Pride march in Montreal
Posted August 10, 2025 12:18 pm.
Last Updated August 14, 2025 10:45 am.
A protest march held Saturday night in downtown Montreal led to confrontations between demonstrators and police, prompting officers to deploy tear gas.
The event, known as Rad Pride, was organized by a group of activist collectives as a grassroots alternative to the city’s official Pride celebrations.
Now in its third year, the demonstration rejects corporate sponsorship and police involvement in Pride events.
Clashes erupt during protest
Montreal police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils said the event began around 9:20 p.m. at Place Émilie-Gamelin, near the intersection of Berri and Sainte-Catherine streets in the Ville-Marie borough.
According to Chèvrefils, the march began at approximately 9:50 p.m. and remained in the area around the park. A few minutes later, protesters began to confront and push police officers. She said objects — including pyrotechnics — were thrown toward officers.
Chèvrefils said police responded by using crowd dispersal maneuvers and deploying irritant gas.
At about 10:15 p.m., protesters broke the windows of a bank at the corner of Saint-Hubert and Sainte-Catherine streets. A garbage can was also set on fire, she said.
By 10:30 p.m., the protest had gradually dispersed.
Chèvrefils confirmed there were no arrests or injuries.
Police recorded two acts of mischief: the broken windows and the fire in the garbage can.
A protest rejecting official Pride structures
Rad Pride was first organized by six groups, including P!nk Bloc, TRAPS, FLIP, OPEN Maisonneuve, FAGS, and Brûlances.
This year, organizers said 30 other organizations — including student associations, community groups, and activist collectives — signed on in support.
The event is held the night before the official Fierté Montréal parade and is meant to serve as a political statement against what organizers describe as the commercialization and institutionalization of Pride.
They position Rad Pride within the tradition of radical queer resistance, referencing historic movements like the Stonewall riots and calling for Pride to return to its activist roots.
This year’s call to march also included denunciations of corporate ties to the war in Gaza, along with broader critiques of official Pride events.
