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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.