Defund La Police Festival held in Montreal

The fifth annual Defund La Police Festival took place on September 12 at Cité-des-Hospitalières in Montreal. Organized by the Defund the Police Coalition, the event focused on the divestment of funds from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the reinvestment of those resources into community programs.

Panel discussions addressed various social issues, including racial profiling, housing, harm reduction, and police surveillance. Organizers and speakers emphasized the need for intersolidarity to combat institutional violence that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

A specific debate emerged regarding the use of body-worn cameras. While Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada recently announced plans to equip 3,500 officers and 600 vehicles with cameras to increase transparency, festival panelists raised concerns. Ted Rutland, an associate professor at Concordia University, argued that bodycam footage is sometimes used by police to gather information on individuals and can be linked to facial recognition software used during protests and public events.