Exceptional event, Mayor Valérie Plante and her police chief Fady Dagher will testify in court in the coming days, in order to explain their actions in terms of racial profiling, learned The Press.
The two figures have been subpoenaed in a 171 million collective action carried out on behalf of racialized citizens arrested disproportionately more often by the police.
In addition to M.me Plante and Mr. Dagher, the president of the city’s executive committee, Dominique Ollivier, the president of the Brotherhood of Montreal police officers, Yves Francœur, and former police chief Sylvain Caron will also have to appear before the Justice Dominique Poulin, of the Superior Court. The trial begins on Wednesday.
This is the lawsuit, led by the Ligue des Noirs du Québec and represented by Me Mike Diomande, who subpoenaed them. According to the lawyer, these potential witnesses did not contest their summons.
They will be questioned on the fact that “there has been no real action in the past 40 years to end racial profiling”, Ms.e Diomande, to explain his decision to summon the heavyweights of the City and the police.
In Valérie Plante’s office, we confirm the presence of the mayor at the trial. “Racism and systemic discrimination exist and must be fought in all their forms,” said its press officer, Catherine Cadotte.
This is a priority for our administration, and that is why the Mayor of Montreal and the President of the Executive Committee, Dominique Ollivier, will cooperate fully with the hearings.
Catherine Cadotte, press officer for the City of Montreal
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) also confirmed to The Press that its current leader and its predecessor “will be called to testify during this trial”. “The SPVM wishes to reiterate the importance it attaches to the fight against racial and social profiling,” added the organization.
The Montreal Police Brotherhood did not call back The Press.
“Blatant lack of results”
In this case, the prosecution accuses the SPVM police officers of demonstrating “systemic racial profiling” by arresting individuals from visible minorities without valid reasons.
“The faults and failures of the defendant to put an end to this systemic practice of racial profiling against racialized people caused the damages suffered”, indicates the lawsuit, which passed the stage of authorization in 2019. Plaintiffs note a flagrant lack of results in the means implemented by the Defendant to effectively combat systemic racial profiling within the SPVM. »
The Black League is leading its collective action by highlighting the case of Alexandre Lamontagne, a young black man arrested on August 14, 2017 at the exit of bars, rue Saint-Jacques. After an altercation, he was fined for shouting in the street, for walking anywhere other than on a sidewalk and for refusing to obey police orders.
In the process, he was also arrested and transported to a police station for obstructing the work of a police officer and assaulting a police officer. The prosecution denounces an illegal, “brutal” arrest, with “excessive and unreasonable use of force”. The charges were dropped.
The League of Blacks is asking for a payment of $5,000 per racialized person unfairly arrested in Montreal during a period covered, for a total of $170 million.
Profiling “far from being systematic”
If they stick to the defense of the lawyers of the City of Montreal, Mme Plante and Mr. Dagher are expected to testify that the police department has been tackling the issue of racial discrimination for more than 30 years.
“The City of Montreal, the SPVM, their representatives and their employees have at all times relevant to the present acted reasonably and in good faith”, argues the defense in a court document which details the chronology of action plans, policies and training adopted over the years.
The police have “taken the means to try to counter racial profiling, conscious or more often than not, unconscious”, continues the defense. “However, acts of racial profiling are far from systematic and are the exception rather than the rule. »
As for the arrest of Alexandre Lamontagne, the City argues that it is a banal situation that got out of hand because of the young man’s attitude.
“Lamontagne was not treated differently by the police, at any time during the intervention, than would have been, in the same circumstances, people belonging to non”racialized” groups”, pleads the City, which describes a vehement individual who refuses to let handcuffs pass.
With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, The Press