A large anti-AI demonstration took to downtown Montreal during a major industry gathering that included hundreds or thousands of AI professionals and the federal AI minister. Protesters argued that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat and staged a visible, theatrical march along René-Lévesque Blvd., carrying hand-painted banners in French and English and chalking slogans on sidewalks. Organizers highlighted a range of harms they link to AI - environmental impacts such as heavy water use and “ecocide,” social harms like deepfake revenge porn, and broader warnings that AI could “kill us all” - and framed the turnout as a direct counterpoint to the corporate and government industry presence.
Photographs capture the mood and tactics: homemade cardboard signs, large red banners reading anti-AI slogans, groups marching in the street, and moments of confrontation with police as officers blocked crossings. Mounted police had been present, leaving traces such as horse manure that protesters stepped over, and riot officers are shown physically restraining banner carriers. The images emphasize street-level activism, gritty visuals and clear messaging aimed at raising public alarm about AI’s social and ecological costs rather than engaging in technical policy debate.
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