A Concordia University professor has lodged a complaint with Montreal police after he says he was hit with a nightstick and kicked by an officer during a protest Wednesday night.
David Waddington says he was walking home from work around 9 p.m. when a group of protesters ran past him. He turned around and saw police in riot gear. One of the officers then struck him, he said.
“He whacked me on the shoulder with his baton and I kind of collapsed against a railing, then I got either whacked or kicked in the leg. He screamed at me ‘Avance, avance,’ and I said OK. I was just totally shocked and scared,” he said.
The protest started with as many as 500 people marching against government austerity. Police say soon after it started, protesters began throwing objects, including fireworks, at officers.
Police used tear gas to make the crowd disperse, but ended up chasing small groups of protesters up and down side streets.
The 37-year-old Waddington said in a Facebook post that Montrealers should not stand for what he called excessive use of force. He filed a complaint with the police because he says the SPVM is out of control.
“They are supposed to be protecting us but I don’t feel that ordinary citizens like me really have much confidence in the police to do that,” he said in an interview.
Montreal police say they won't comment until they've had a chance to look into the complaint and get both sides of the story.
