Condemnation for 'mob' that pulled down statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Montreal
Several dozen police on motorcycles and bicycle accompanied the marchers, but did not intervene when the statue came down
Aug 29, 2020 • Last Updated August 31, 2020 • 3 minute read
The head of a statue of Sir John A. MacDonald is shown torn down following a demonstration in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL — Protesters in Montreal toppled and defaced a statue of John A. Macdonald at the end of a demonstration calling on cities to defund police departments.
A spokesman for the Montreal police confirmed the statue of Canada's first prime minister was unbolted, pulled down and sprayed with graffiti at around 2:45 p.m.
Jean-Pierre Brabant said police were on hand but did not intervene other than to ask the crowd to disperse on a loudspeaker.
The demonstration consisted of more than 200 mostly young people organized under the banner of the Coalition for BIPOC Liberation. The acronym stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.
Several dozen police on motorcycles and bicycle accompanied the marchers, but did not intervene when the statue came down. Police ordered the crowd to disperse but said no arrests were made.
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Alberta Premier Jason Kenny condemned the protesters, deriding them as a mob, and offered to re-erect the statue at the Alberta Legislature if Montreal opts not to return it to the plinth where it has stood for 125 years.
"Many of those on the extreme left responsible for this kind of violence claim that Canada is an illegitimate state, all the while enjoying Canada's rights, freedoms, privileges & prosperity," Kenney tweeted.
The statue of Sir John A. MacDonald is shown torn down following a demonstration in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, where they protested to defund the police with a goal to end all systemic racism within all sectors of the Canadian government. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante reacted on Instagram: "I strongly condemn the acts of vandalism that took place this afternoon in downtown Montreal, which led to the John A. Macdonald statue being torn down. Such gestures cannot be accepted or tolerated."
Premier François Legault also posted to Twitter: "Whatever one might think of John A. Macdonald, destroying a monument in this way is unacceptable. We must fight racism, but destroying parts of our history is not the solution. Vandalism has no place in our democracy and the statue must be restored."
Controversy over the statue has grown as Canadians re-examine Macdonald's role in Canadian history. He is one of the Fathers of Confederation, but has been criticized for promoting the Indian Act and immigration policies that restricted Asians.
Last October, climate activists painted the statue blue as part of Extinction Rebellion's week of protests.
As the U.S. movement to remove monuments celebrating Confederate leaders and European colonizers ramped up, the words "RCMP Rape Native Women/Kill Native Men" appeared on the base of the Macdonald statue and and tens of thousands have signed a petition to remove it.
Images from the Montreal event Saturday show a crowd of protesters marching in the rain under umbrellas and carrying signs demanding change. The organizers are asking for cities to reduce their police budgets by 50 per cent.
They say the diverted funds could be used to invest in alternatives to policing such as better mental health treatment, civilian conflict resolution services, and trauma-based emergency services.
Calls to withdraw funding from police forces have multiplied in both Canada and the United States in recent months after the death of George Floyd during a police stop in Minnesota.
Organizers said protests were also scheduled to take place in Toronto, London, Montreal, Fredericton, Moncton and Halifax.
With files from Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette
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