Mediaboss Marketing

A large crowd dressed in black gathered Sunday afternoon on the apartment building stepsof Pierre Coriolan, a 58-year-old black man who was fatally shot by Montreal police this week.

Following the vigil, the crowd of hundreds marched along Ste-CatherineStreet and members of the groups ended up on one of the stages at the Jazz Festival at Places des Arts. It then made a stop at Montreal police's headquarters on St-Urbain Street.

The demonstration comes just days after policewere called to Coriolan's apartment on the corner ofRobillardandSt-Andrstreets at around 7 p.m. last Tuesday. Neighbours said a man was destroying items in his home.

When police arrived, they said he confronted them with ascrewdriver in each hand.

The fact thatCoriolanwas black raised immediate concern among activists earlier this week, who fear racial profiling could have to do with how officers respond when people of colour are in distress.

The vigil was organized by groups advocating against racism and police brutality, including Black Lives Matter,MontralNoir andHoodstock.

They are asking police to name the officer who shot Coriolan andto collect and publish data on police interventions involving racialized people.

They also want health and social services to better serve the black community and to look into questionsof institutionalized racism. They say police shouldn't be at the frontline when it comes to responding to people in mental distress.

"They can't de-escalate," said Montreal activist Robin Maynard.

Maynardsaid the use of a stun gun and plastic bulletsby police against Coriolan"shows they don't value the lives of black people."

Prominent activists from Toronto, including DesmondCole and the city's Black Lives Matter faction, also attended the vigil.

Link:
Black Lives Matter takes Jazz Fest stage after vigil for Pierre Coriolan - CBC.ca