Latest news with #SaintMichel
CBC
27-05-2025
- CBC
Family of Montreal man who died after police altercation sees similarities to George Floyd
WARNING: This story contains graphic video and audio captured during violent police interventions. In a back alley snuggled between rows of apartment buildings in northeast Montreal, a group of family members are huddled for a vigil and a prayer. "Justice for the life of Abisay," said a woman, with her hands raised and eyes closed during a prayer in Spanish, referring to Abisay Cruz, a relative of hers who died on March 30 after an intervention by Montreal police turned violent. Two floors up from a fire escape just steps away, Cruz's grieving mother, Marcelina Isidro, sat on her balcony overlooking the group prayer — the same balcony where her son could be heard yelling " Je vais mourir," or "I'm going to die," in video footage that captured part of his altercation with police. "What happened is very difficult," Isidro told CBC News in Spanish. "I never thought my son would leave us, that my son would die so young." Sunday's vigil in the Montreal neighbourhood of Saint-Michel took place on the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis, which galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked protests around the world about police brutality and racism. The people at the vigil point to the fact that, similar to how Cruz could be heard yelling that he was going to die, Floyd could be heard saying "I can't breathe" as police officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the pavement for more than nine minutes. "It was the same situation with my brother. Someone who was asking for help, who couldn't breathe," said Josué Cruz, Abisay's younger brother. "And even then they just continued to put pressure on his back." Cruz was 29 years old. His only child, Enzo, is nine. Investigation into Cruz's death Cruz was one of two people in the Montreal area who died after a police intervention in a span of about 12 hours that weekend in late March. Quebec's police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), is investigating. According to the preliminary information the BEI released at the time, Montreal police responded to a 911 call on March 30 about a person in crisis near the corner of Pie-IX Boulevard and 47th Street. After police arrived and an altercation occurred between them and a man at the scene, the officers eventually restrained him. The BEI said the man, who was later identified as Cruz, suffered "malaise" and lost consciousness. He was given first-aid and transported to hospital where he was declared dead. WATCH | Family unites to hold vigil for Abisay Cruz: Family holds vigil for son on 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder, says cases are similar 13 hours ago Duration 2:35 Abisay Cruz died after a police operation in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighbourhood in March. His family says his death and that of George Floyd in 2020 share common elements. Since then, videos that captured the police intervention have circulated, including footage that was released by the family about three weeks after Cruz's death. "We think that there are similarities in the ways that Mr. Cruz died and the way Mr. Floyd died," said Fo Niemi, the head of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR). "This is an opportunity to show that George Floyd can happen here in Montreal." Videos of the police altercation with Cruz show two officers restraining the 29-year-old father on the back balcony of the apartment where he lived with his mother. Cruz is face down on his stomach and the officers are kneeling. It's not clear if they're kneeling on or beside him. At one point, however, Cruz's legs appear to be thrashing against the balcony and he's clearly in distress. Another video from a different angle shared on social media picks up events a little later. In this video, Cruz can be seen struggling while an officer is clearly kneeling on his back. The family has called for a public coroner's inquiry. The coroner's office hasn't ruled that out yet. Montreal police declined CBC News's request for comment, citing the ongoing BEI investigation. Family to keep protesting until they get answers Cristian Bermudez was best friends with Cruz. He lived two apartment buildings away from him and they spent much of their childhood in the alley where people gathered for Sunday's vigil. "He was a loving guy. He was there for his friends — loyal," said Bermudez. "It's hard for everybody. It's been very hard, especially the way that he went out." Cruz's younger brother, Josué, said interactions between police and Black, Arab and Latino people in the Saint-Michel neighbourhood can often get tense and he maintains that his brother would still be alive if he were white. "The arrest would've unfolded differently," he said. Josué added that the grieving process has been difficult because the family doesn't have answers to its questions about what happened that day. He thinks the public gatherings and protests in his brother's honour will continue as long as that continues to be the case. "Even his son is asking questions, and he doesn't have answers," said Josué. "He's asking things like whether police are actually there to help." WATCH | What people are saying five years after George Floyd's murder: 5 years after George Floyd's murder, Americans see setbacks 1 day ago Duration 2:42 As Americans mark five years since unarmed Black man George Floyd was murdered by white police officer Derek Chauvin, demonstrators say promised police reforms have not happened — pointing out the Trump administration rolled back federal reform efforts in the days before the anniversary.
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Family holds vigil for son on 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder, says cases are similar
Abisay Cruz died after a police operation in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighbourhood in March. His family says his death and that of George Floyd in 2020 share common elements.
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Montreal mayoral candidate took in illegal security deposit from tenant renting her home
A candidate running to become Montreal's next mayor collected a security deposit from a tenant who is renting out her family home — a violation of Quebec law. The story was first reported by the Journal de Montréal. Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the leader of Ensemble Montréal, the Official Opposition party at city hall, has promised to make housing more accessible in the city, recently dubbing herself as la mairesse du logement, French for "the mayor of housing." When her four-bedroom, semi-detached bungalow in the city's Saint-Michel neighbourhood was listed in 2023 with the asking price of $2,850 per month, the listing stated that the tenant needed to pay a "one month security deposit for the appliances." "This will be given [back] when the landlord collects the keys," the listing read. Article 1904 of the Quebec Civil Code outlines that a landlord may not "exact any amount of money other than the rent, in the form of a deposit or otherwise." The listing for the candidate's home also stated that the tenant would have to agree to pay a $175 cleaning fee, which is also illegal. Even though Martinez Ferrada's home has a tenant, the listing can still be viewed on the real estate agent's website, but it doesn't mention anything about a deposit. CBC News was able to obtain the original listing with the stipulation about the security deposit and the cleaning fee through Centris, a real estate website with a vast inventory of properties on sale and for rent. Speaking with reporters on Monday, Martinez Ferrada said she entrusted a real estate agent with listing her property. She described requesting and collecting the security deposit as an "error in good faith." In Quebec, a deposit is only valid if the tenant pays it voluntarily and without any pressure from the landlord. $1,000 fee, not $2,850, Martinez Ferrada claims Despite the fee being described in the listing as a "one month" charge, Martinez Ferrada denied the Journal de Montréal report that the tenant paid her $2,850 — which would be the equivalent of one month of rent at the price that was listed. The mayoral candidate claims the tenant paid her $1,000 and that the deposit was not for rent but rather for appliances that she had purchased for the home. She said she only realized she had collected the sum from the tenant after a journalist contacted her about the situation. She said the money has since been given back to the tenant. The mayoral candidate did not address the cleaning fee during her news conference Monday, but a spokesperson for her party told CBC News that fee was never charged despite what was written in the listing. Only the $1,000 security deposit was charged, the spokesperson said. "It's a mistake that happens far too often in Montreal," Martinez Ferrada said Monday. "When mistakes happen, you have to take responsibility for them." Martinez Ferrada was elected as the MP for the Hochelaga riding in 2019. In 2023, she was appointed as the federal tourism minister under Justin Trudeau's Liberal government. In February this year, she quit federal politics with the goal of becoming Montreal's next mayor. Later that month, she became the leader of Ensemble Montréal. She was the only candidate in the race. On Monday, the candidate said she would continue referring to herself as the "mayor of housing." "Part of being mayor is taking responsibility for your actions and that's what I'm doing today." No one's above the law, Projet Montréal leader says In addition to being an MP and Canada's tourism minister, Martinez Ferrada also served as the parliamentary secretary for the federal housing minister. In this year's municipal elections, she'll be going up against Luc Rabouin, who took over from Valérie Plante as the leader for Projet Montréal in March. When asked about the deposit and fees included in the listing for Martinez Ferrada's property, Rabouin said no one was above the law, "especially if you aspire to become the mayor of Montreal." "Two-thirds of Montrealers are tenants and they absolutely need to understand and believe that the future mayor of Montreal understands their reality and will be there to defend their rights," he said. Quebec's municipal elections will be held on Nov. 2.
