Thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday in Montreal and other cities in Quebec against racism and police violence, also denouncing racial discrimination in the French-speaking province. A large crowd - over 10,000 people according to non-official estimates - marched in downtown Montreal, chanting "black lives matter" (black lives count), "No Justice, No Peace" (No justice, no ), "I can't breathe", or "it has to stop" .
The demonstration, the second in Montreal in a week, was part of the vast protest movement caused by the death of the African-American George Floyd, smothered under the knee of a white police officer during an arrest.
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But organizers, during speeches before the departure of the procession, as well as demonstrators, also criticized the Premier of Quebec François Legault for having estimated a few days ago that there was no "systemic racism " in the province. "There is systemic racism that exists in Quebec (...) all the evidence has been made," said one of the organizers, the ex-boxer Ali Nestor.
"Beyond today's demonstration, beyond " never again " , there must be concrete gestures and it takes political will" , for his part launched Dominique Anglade, new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (opposition), whose family is of Haitian origin.
Protesters were asked to stop several times to kneel down in memory of George Floyd and the parade took place in calm, as last Sunday's demonstration in Montreal degenerated into clashes in the evening .
Many demonstrators wore masks, but could hardly respect the physical distance of two meters, in particular during the rally which preceded the departure of the procession.