Montreal's Caribbean community seeks answers after 15 officers interrupt BBQ

Montreal's Grenadian community is demanding answers after 15 police officers reported to a fundraising event last month in response to a noise complaint.

On June 24, a barbeque was held outside Greenz Restaurant in Lachine to raise funds for the Spice Island Cultural Festival in July.

According to attendees, everything was going according to plan until police showed up at 8:30 p.m.

"We were caught by surprise," said Gemme Raeburn-Baynes, president of the Playmas Montreal Cultural Association.

What was most shocking, she said, was just how many officers turned up.

Officers with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the RCMP were there, as well as members of the Eclipse squad, which focuses on organized crime in Montreal.

For Fo Niemi, executive director at the Centre for Research Action on Race Relations (CRARR), having so many officers respond to a noise complaint was unusual.

"I've never seen the RCMP, the SQ, and the eclipse squad coming over a noise complaint at a party," he said.

The community says it wants to know why so many resources were called.

"It's not a good image for our business, 15 police cars parked in front of my restaurant. A lot of customers had left," said Greenz Restaurant owner Leon Charles.

The group has written a letter to Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and opposition leader Aref Salem, and are also seeking a meeting with the head of Montreal police (SPVM).

"Any suspicion of racial profiling must be treated with the utmost attention," Salem noted. "The City of Montreal has made commitments in this regard following the release of the OCPM report on racism and systemic discrimination. We have sent a request to meet with organizations to see how we can support them in their requests."

Montreal police acknowledged there was a noise complaint on June 24, but said no fines were issued.

In a statement, police said officers from the Eclipse unit, accompanied by the SQ and RCMP, conduct sporadic visits to bars and restaurants in the city.

They say the unit collects information, increases police visibility and, by extension, the public's sense of security.

Nevertheless, Niemi says this move only hurts the relationship between police and communities.

"Incidents like this certainly don't help. As a matter of fact, they compromise all messages on the part of the police and the part of the city," he said.

Meanwhile, the Plante administration says it plans to ask Montreal police to meet with festival organizers, assuring it will follow up on the file.