Riot squads with both the Montreal police and the Sûreté du Québec were out in full force Wednesday evening as May Day protests got underway.
Montreal police spokesperson Emmanuel Anglade said the protests began at around 7 p.m. at multiple starting points.
“We have three ongoing protests,” he said.
Fires could be seen burning on Ste-Catherine Street, between Peel and Metcalfe streets, as riot police lined up at both intersections.
Anglade, speaking to Global News from the police operation centre, said officers had begun targeted interventions to ensure events run smoothly.
“We’ve observed illegal activities,” he said. “We are in the process of asking people to respect the law and telling people to disperse.”