The use of cayenne pepper sprays or other irritants on the Montreal subway has skyrocketed since 2022, La Presse has learned. A new “urban phenomenon”, according to the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), is causing headaches for users of public transport.
Posted at 5:00 am
In Montreal, it’s becoming increasingly common for the STM to evacuate subway stations and shut down entire lines of the network because someone somewhere has intentionally used capsicum aerosol or some other irritant gas.
The phenomenon tripled in 2022 compared to the previous year and was ten times higher than ten years ago, La Presse learned in the context of a request for information. In fact, a total of 23 such offenses were registered by the STM in 2022, compared to 7 in 2021. In 2013, only two similar incidents were registered.
The trend does not appear to be reversing. In the first two months of 2023, five incidents in connection with the use of tear gas were noted by transport companies and the media.
On the same day, January 5, two separate detections were made at the Parc and Berri-UQAM1 stations. Much of the Montreal subway was disrupted that day, particularly during rush hour. Several train stations had to be evacuated.
According to information from the STM, two other offenses were committed on January 13 and February 14 at Guy-Concordia and Place-d’Armes train stations.
Then last Sunday, an altercation at the Atwater station between two users who pepper sprayed each other also forced the suspension of service for about half an hour on both the Orange and Green Lines2. This latest violation does not appear in the data that the STM sent to La Presse on Tuesday.
With the exception of the natural gas infiltration in 2022, all events related to a irritant gas in metro stations in 2022 and 2023 are qualified by the STM as “willful offences”. Two of them mention a “police operation”.
No recent arrests
Neither the STM nor the Montreal police have been able to explain the origins of this “new urban phenomenon,” as Philippe Déry, director of public relations for the STM, calls it.
“We cannot comment on the profile of people who would use it [de vaporisateur de poivre de Cayenne], especially because we do not always have all the information about the circumstances that led to the incidents, Mr Déry explained by email. We also do not want to contribute to emphasizing or excluding certain profiles of people. »
The SPVM also claims to be unable “to decide on the intentions of the people committing these acts without having facts to base them on,” commented communications officer Caroline Labelle.
On June 30, 2022, the SPVM launched an investigation into a group of young people who allegedly tried to pepper spray an apparently homeless man in a tube car at McGill station while filming themselves with their cellphones3 .
This last violation does not appear in the list provided by the STM La Presse.
The SPVM confirms that several investigations into the use of irritants in the Métro are ongoing, but no arrests have yet been made.
Stations more affected than others
According to information from STM, the channel most affected by this type of public mischief is Berri-UQAM, where La Presse recently reported a significant increase in violence related to drug trafficking and use4.
It should be noted that Toronto has also faced a significant increase in attacks on its public transport network5.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Metro Bonaventure
Other Montreal stations most affected are Atwater, Honoré-Beaugrand, Guy-Concordia, Bonaventure and Plamondon.
If an irritant is detected in the subway, the STM’s protocol aims to protect users by preventing it from spreading through the ventilation system and encouraging the introduction of fresh air, explains Mr. Déry.
“The fact remains that we are being forced to interrupt service to perform these emergency breathing maneuvers, he laments, impacting our customers’ movements. It is understood that in order to allow emergency ventilation of the tunnels and stations, it is necessary to evacuate several stations or even several sections nearby, within a certain radius of the incident, since our network forms a coherent whole. »
Emergency services can also be called to the scene. Since Sept. 1, 2022, Urgences-santé has intervened 15 times on the subway for calls mentioning “cayenne pepper,” spokesman Jean-Pierre Rouleau said. Across Montreal, 148 similar calls were listed during the same period.
The STM was unable to communicate to La Presse the financial impact of this increase in violations.
From insults to criminal charges
Gas devices designed “as a means of injuring a person”, including tear gas, Mace-branded products, and any other vaporizers aimed at humans are considered prohibited weapons under the Criminal Code. Similar anti-dog and anti-bear products are exempt from this classification and are available over the counter, but should not be used as a weapon against another person. The consequences of such a gesture range from an insult to a criminal complaint, says Mr Déry. “Participants in these types of incidents are mainly subject to charges of assault with a weapon if a specific person or group of people has been attacked, or assault if the product has been disseminated indiscriminately,” adds Ms. Labelle SPVM. In 2019, Serge Panneton-Nadon was sentenced to a year in prison for a cayenne pepper attack that shut down three subway lines. The case had become well known. He was specifically charged with assault, possession of a prohibited weapon and disrupting the subway.
In case of tear gas: get out!
If the presence of irritant gas is detected in the subway, the fire brigades are the first responders on the spot, says Urgences-santé spokesman Jean-Pierre Rouleau. You have the masks and the tools to identify the type of gas. A specialized tactical medical intervention team is also deployed at Urgences-santé. She usually stays outside of the contaminated sites to provide first aid to those affected. Common symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, and irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Urgences-santé can offer on-site care (eyewash, oxygen). Transport to the hospital may be necessary. “The best cure for when cayenne pepper or other irritant gases are in the air is to be outdoors, advises Mr. Rouleau. Don’t be curious, he advises. Exit! »
Learn more
74 Total number of incidents related to the presence of an irritant gas on the Montréal subway, from 2013 to 2023
Source: Montreal Transit Company
10 Total number of events related to the presence of irritant gases at Berri-UQAM station from 2013 to 2023
Source: Montreal Transit Company