MONTREAL'

Jacques-Cartier Bridge reopens after environmental protest

CBC
Tue, October 22, 2024 at 4:11 a.m. MDT·1 min
As the sun was coming up, two people could be seen on the top of the bridge's structure. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada - image credit)

Two protesters climbed one of the structures of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge early Tuesday morning, triggering a police operation that shut down the bridge for nearly seven hours, and caused major traffic headaches for rush-hour drivers.

The bridge, which connects Montreal's South Shore to downtown Montreal, reopened around noon.

Quebec provincial police, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), said they had arrested two people and that investigators were meeting them. Nobody was injured.

Police were dispatched to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge early Tuesday in attempt to get the protesters down from the structure.


Police were dispatched to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge early Tuesday in attempt to get the protesters down from the structure. (Simon Marc-Charron/Radio-Canada)

The incident began just before 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

By 6 a.m., traffic on the bridge was severely backed up in both directions.

Around 7 a.m., the SQ said the two protesters were still on the structure they were trying to negotiate a peaceful end to the protest.

Police urged people affected by the closure to work from home if possible.

As of 6:45 a.m., there was still a strong police presence on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

There was a strong police presence on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge by midday. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)

A protester who spoke with Radio-Canada said the protest was organized by two groups: Last Generation Canada and Collectif Antigone.

They're calling for an end to investments in fossil fuels.