Hundreds march in Montreal for slain teenager and other victims of violence
On Sunday, 16-year-old Thomas Trudel was shot in St-Michel.
In February, 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui was caught by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in St-Leonard and died.
Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, 16, was stabbed to death in Cote-des-Neiges in October.
Hundreds showed up to honour these teenagers and march to remember their lives and demand for solutions.
Supporters gathered at Parc Franncois-Perrault, near where Trudel was shot and killed just over a week ago.
Among them was 15-year-old Nazim, a former classmate of Trudel's, who said he'll be remembered for his kindness.
"The day after his death, something was wrong with François-Perreault. (...) It was not like before. It's like the school has lost its soul," said Nazim.
The memorial march comes the day after the funeral for Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, who was stabbed and killed outside of his school. Dopwell-Bailey's family criticized the "double standard" from politicians in Quebec, who publicly spoke and made gestures of support after Trudel's death, but not for the 16-year-old.
Premier Francois Legault laid flowers at a makeshift memorial for Trudel, and Mayor Valerie Plante held a news conference after his dealth along with Montreal police (SPVM) chief Sylvain Caron offering support to the family. Neither made a similar gesture after Dopwell-Bailey was killed.
MNA Chantal Rouleau, MP Pablo Rodriguez and provincial Liberal leader Dominique Anglade and other politicians attended the march on Saturday and some spoke about violence in the city and the need to address its root causes.
"They are all our children," said Rouleau, who called gun crime prevention a "community responsibility."
"It's so important to stay together, and fight together, against violence," she said.
The Forum Jeuness de Saint-Michel organized Saturday's event, which included speeches, a moment of silence and the opportunity to lay flowers in memorium.
'WE NEED TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS': ANGLADE
Lawmakers renewed appeals to Ottawa for more support to fight gun trafficking, saying the issue concerns federal jurisdictions.
"The federal (government) has a mandate at its borders, that's clear. They need to take action," said provincial opposition leader Anglade, adding that the province also needs to step up its efforts.
As for "the provincial (government), if you work with organizations on the ground, you realize they need help," she said. "Prevention is key. Where is the money?"
"At the end of the day, we need to put our money where our mouth is."
Honoré-Mercier MP Rodriguez echoed those concerns, saying "we all have to do more," and hailing the federal government's assault-style weapons ban.
"I'm not here as minister, I'm here as a human being, as a father," he said. "We have to stand up to violence."
-- This is a developing story that will be updated. This article was published with files from CTV News' Ian Wood and The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.