Olympic torch protested in Montreal

Riot police had to intervene Thursday night to push back protesters at celebrations marking the arrival of the Olympic torch in Old Montreal.

More than 100 protesters gathered in front of the stage, carrying placards, and chanting “No Olympics on stolen native land.”

No arrests were reported, and officers were on hand to make sure the event went smoothly, said Const. André Leclerc of the Montreal police.

Jacques Villeneuve, a former Formula One world champion, carried the Olympic flame along a snow-filled street in Old Montreal before an exchange in front of the brightly lit Notre-Dame Basilica, a Montreal landmark.

The Vancouver Olympics have been the target of protests by native communities and anti-poverty activists, who are critical of what they said are misplaced priorities and the forced evictions of low-income earners.

On Monday, a group of Mohawk traditionalists in the Kahnawake reserve, south of Montreal, threatened to block the torch if the RCMP ? officially escorting the flame across Canada ? were part of the caravan.

Torch relay organizers finally agreed to allow the community?s police force, the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers, to take over the security detail.

On Tuesday morning, the torch arrived at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium to commemorate the city’s Olympic connection.

The torch then visited other regions of the province, including Mont-Tremblant, before returning for a tour of the Island of Montreal on Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Canadian figure-skating legend Barbara Ann Scott carried the torch into the House of Commons in Ottawa.

The torch run officially was to arrive in the national capital region on Saturday. However, an early side trip to Parliament was scheduled during the torch’s Montreal leg because the House was expected to break for the Christmas recess on Friday.

The Olympic flame’s cross-country route, at 45,000 kilometres, was planned to be the longest domestic torch relay in Games history.

Advertisement