Montrealers Held A Huge Anti-Racism Protest In The Woods Yesterday (VIDEOS)

People around the world have been coming together to denounce racism and police brutality. There have been several anti-racism protests in Montreal within the past few weeks, and another one took place this past Sunday. This one was in the form of an outdoor protest in the woods, and Occupy the Hood was at the heart of the event.

The event took place very discreetly on June 14, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., near the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument Park, where DJs and festivities were on hand.

According to Gabriel, one of the participants present, "no alcohol was sold on-site" but since the park selected allowed personal consumption, many people brought their own drinks and a meal, which is permitted thanks to Montreal's picnic law.

The man added that "[the site] was patrolled by several police officers" and that organizers offered "bottled water, masks, gloves and [disinfectant]" on site.

Admission was free, and those who enjoyed the experience were able to show their appreciation by donating to the fundraising event held at the same time.

Several "rules of conduct" had also been established beforehand. 

These included wearing a mask at all times and practicing social distancing.

Organizers had also asked people to spread the word of mouth information only.

This "peaceful demonstration [denouncing] the systemic racism present in Quebec and the police brutality that martyrs citizens from racialized communities" did a great deal of good for the people on site, says Gabriel.

At the time of writing this article, $13,455 had been raised out of a $12,000 goal for Occupy The Hood's GoFundMe, which will be used to donate to various non-profit organizations in the coming days.

On June 22, many restaurants in Montreal will reopen their doors.

And among them, at least 67 are Black-owned.

This article was originally published in French on Narcity Québec.