Montreal police used pepper spray on protestors and arrested at least one person Friday during a demonstration outside the headquarters of GardaWorld, a security company contracted to provide services at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, according to reports from the Montreal Gazette.
Approximately 1,000 people gathered near Place Vertu shopping mall in the St-Laurent borough to protest GardaWorld’s involvement with ICE, specifically its work at a Florida detention site referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The protest was organized in response to a recently approved contract allowing a GardaWorld subsidiary to compete for up to US$138 million (CAN$190 million) in ICE contracts for emergency detention services.
The demonstration drew support from a range of organizations, including Québec solidaire, Amnesty International, and union representatives from the Confédération des syndicats nationaux and the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement. Protest organizer Celeste Trianon stated, “Our tax dollars are directly contributing to companies which are complicit in the crimes against humanity being committed by ICE.”
The Quebec government has invested $300 million in public funds into GardaWorld, a Montreal-based company founded by Stephan Crétier, who is currently the ninth richest person in Quebec with a net worth of $3.8 billion. GardaWorld has already profited $111 million from contracts with ICE, according to organizers.
Protestors allege that GardaWorld participated in the construction of the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, where detainees have reported conditions amounting to torture. The demonstration began in front of Place Vertu and proceeded to GardaWorld’s headquarters, a distance of approximately 1.7 kilometers, before returning to the starting point.
GardaWorld’s involvement with ICE has drawn criticism from groups opposing the detention of migrants and the policies of the U.S. Immigration system. The Green Party of Quebec has also voiced opposition to the company’s affiliation with ICE and the use of Quebec taxpayers’ money to support its operations.
