In 2010, Farid Charles was waiting for a friend outside of a take-out restaurant when two Montreal city police officers removed him from the car and arrested him, and charged him with loitering. Four years later (in May) the Human Rights Commission of the province of Quebec recommended he be compensated $33,000 damages for racial profiling. But it appears the city of Montreal has neither paid the compensation, nor apologized to Charles.
The compensation was due June 13, 2014.
“The city didn’t pay up,” Fo Niemi, the Executive Director of the Centre of Research-Action on Race Relations, told the Montreal Gazete newspaper. “It will go to the [Quebec Human Rights] tribunal,” said Niemi. The centre aided Charles in launching a complaint with the human rights commission.
According to the newspaper, a spokesperson from the commission declined to comment on the case because of confidentiality issues.
When the initial recommendation was made by the commission Charles, a former highschool teacher, had said he was pleased with the decision and said City Hall should be taking a closer look at racism and racial profiling to prevent future injustices.
“I feel the mayor needs to be accountable, I feel the police chief needs to be accountable.. they should start looking at the problems that are in the system today and start doing something about it,” he said.
More information:
CTV News – Montreal racial profiling victim awarded $33K in precedent-setting case – here
CBC News – Montreal police racially profiled LaSalle man, Quebec commission rules – here
Montreal Gazette – Racial profiling case may go to Quebec Human Rights Tribunal – here
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