RESOURCES

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 Here are the resources the Coalition has produced and gathered to guide and inform the struggle for a better future.

ALTERNATIVE CITY BUDGET

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ALTERNATIVE CITY BUDGET ↓

 

Alternative City Budget

Defunding the police and reinvesting in communities is a concrete, practical project. Inspired by movements across North America, we spoke with over 100 Montreal groups to hear how they’d like to reinvest the money currently overinvested in police. The result is an alternative city budget, The People’s Vision.

The report first outlines the city’s increasing reliance on police. Montreal’s spending on police has increased dramatically since 2001, increasing 50% in 2001-10 and 9% in 2011-20. Montreal also has the highest number of police officers per capita in Canada – by far.

The report also discusses local support for defunding the police. Montrealers strongly support defunding the police. This summer witnessed the two largest protests against police racism and violence in the city’s history, and 73% of the participants in an August pre-budgetary consultation called for defunding the police.

In line with our demands, the report calls for 50% of the current SPVM budget to be reallocated to other programs and services. The central part of the report outlines precisely how Montrealers want to see this money spent. Based on consultations with over 100 Montreal groups, our alternative budget emphasizes three priority areas, three “roots” of reinvestment:

  • Community Emergency Response Teams

  • Transformative and Restorative Justice Supports

  • Well-Being and Sustainability Supports

 

Video Capsules

We’ve created a set of short, engaging video capsules that explain our demands and how they’ll create a safer city for everyone. Check them out and share them with others.

 

Images

Follow us on Instagram, where we post memes, calls to action, and popular education tools.

— PRESS RELEASE — Community groups respond to Fady Dagher’s vision for the SPVM As new SPVM director Fady Dagher presents his vision for the SPVM at a Monday morning press conference, a coalition of Montreal community groups are cr
— COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE — Réponse des groupes communautaires à la vision de Fady Dagher pour le SPVM Alors que le nouveau directeur du SPVM, Fady Dagher, présente sa vision pour le SPVM lors d'une confér
The City Without Overdoses Coalition is demanding that the City of Montreal take action to decriminalize drug possession. To date, 62 Montréal-based groups have joined the struggle: @actionjeunesseoi @astteq @accmontreal ARCHE de L'E
La coalition « Ville sans surdoses » demande à la Ville de Montréal de passer à l’action pour décriminaliser la possession de drogues. À ce jour, 62 groupes montréalais ont rejoint la lutte
via @ecolesanspolice et @head_and_hands (Le français suit) NDG and CDN parents, teachers, community members and especially, students, mark your calendars for April 15th at 4PM! Students from NDG or CDN, we would love to have you! Join us at C
VIA @ssf.sab (English below) RASSEMBLEMENT D’URGENCE CONTRE LA FERMETURE DU CHEMIN ROXHAM Où: bureau de circonscription de Justin Trudeau, 1100 Crémazie est (à 10-15 minutes de marche du métro Jarry) Date: Mercred
The “City Without Overdoses” Coalition is demanding that the City of Montreal take action to decriminalize drug possession. The City has the power to act and to save lives now. We invite you to use the information above, and the tools on
La coalition « Ville sans surdoses » demande à la Ville de Montréal de passer à l’action pour décriminaliser la possession de drogues. La Ville a le pouvoir d’agir immédiatement et de sauver
(English follows) DÉCRIMINALISER LES DROGUES SAUVE DES VIES. La Coalition « Ville sans surdoses » demande à la ville de Montréal de passer à l’action pour décriminaliser la possession de drogues.
(English follows) 27e JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE CONTRE LA BRUTALITÉ POLICIÈRE. Soyons nombreuses et nombreux à la manifestation du 15 mars. Organisé par le Collectif Opposé à la Brutalité Polic
As communities across the country continue to demand defunding the police, big city mayors have done the opposite. For the second year in a row, Montreal mayor Valerie Plante passed the largest absolute increase ($63 million) while Vancouver’s
Alors que les citoyen.ne.s à travers le pays continuent de demander le définancement de la police, les maire.sse.s des grandes villes continuent de faire le contraire. Pour la deuxième année consécutive, la mairesse
Please join the community in demanding #justicefornicous on Friday, February 10 at 1pm. We will meet at the Roddick Gates and march to the courthouse. Nicous was only 21 years old when Bordeaux prison guards took his life. Nicous was illegally detain
S’il vous plaît, rejoignez la communauté afin de demander #justicepournicous le vendredi 10 février, à 13h. La marche commencera aux Roddick Gates et finira au tribunal. Nicous n’avait que 21 ans quand les gardi
The police don't keep us safe. They cannot reduce violence, they cannot reduce harm, it is simply not possible for police repression to do that. The @spvmpolice knows it, @projetmontreal knows it, researchers know it, and most of us know it as well.
Augmenter l’effectif et le budget de la police ne diminue pas la violence, ni même le “crime”. Le @spvmpolice le sait, @projetmontreal le sait, les études scientifiques le montre, et notre histoire et nos expérie

Resources from
allies

The movement to defund and abolish the police is not new. Many people and groups have written about and advocated for the policies we’re fighting for today. Listed below are a few webinars, books, and articles to help you explore the history and the present movement.

Defunding the police/Définancement de la police (Woke or whateva)

Webinar: The Struggle for Police Free Schools

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada From Slavery to Present (Robyn Maynard)

Are Prisons Obsolete? (Angela Davis)

Yes, We Literally Mean Abolish the Police (Mariame Kaba)

The End of Policing (Alex Vitale)

The answer to police violence is not 'reform'. It's defunding. Here's why (Alex Vitale)

The 1619 Project (Nikole Hannah-Jones)

 

Get involved

There are multiple ways to get involved with or support the work of the Coalition as we fight for a safer city for everyone. From joining the Coalition to following us on social media, there are many ways to plug in.