On Sunday, April 9, around fifty people gathered at Square Phillips in downtown Montreal to commemorate the lives of Nooran Rezayi and Abisay Cruz, as well as other victims of police violence, including Anthony Griffin, Marcellus François, Trevor Kelly, Quilem Registre, Fredy Villanueva, and Sheffield Matthews.
The event, organized by Mouvement Montréal 514, called for justice and accountability in the face of recurring police brutality and killings. Speakers denounced a system where law enforcement continues to act with impunity, protected by political leaders, media institutions, and the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), Quebec’s police watchdog.
Former officers make up nearly half of the BEI’s staff, and out of 450 investigations conducted over nine years, only two have led to criminal charges.
After the gathering, participants marched through downtown Montreal, ending at McGill Metro, chanting for
