At least 5 May Day protesters arrested after fireworks set off, police fire tear gas

A total of at least five May Day protesters were arrested in separate clashes with Montreal police and May Day march protesters Tuesday evening.

Two men, ages 38 and 26, a 17-year-old boy and a woman, 21, were among those arrested. 

A group of protesters set out from La Fontaine Park in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough around 6:15 p.m. ET for the march organized by the CLAC, a coalition of anti-capitalist activists and groups.

Within minutes, there were skirmishes between protesters and police, who were deployed in large numbers.

Protesters set off fireworks and the police shot tear gas, CBC Montreal's Kate McKenna reported from the protest.

An SPVM spokesperson told CBC News that one person was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

"It was a very surreal scene," McKenna reported.

"We saw people walking their dogs in the Plateau just pick up their dogs and start running with them in the middle of all of this."

3 protests held in the city

A second protest, organized by members of a communist group, began shortly after 7 p.m. near Phillips Square, at the corner of Ste-Catherine Street West and Union Avenue, Montreal police said.

A total of five people were arrested throughout the day, police said. Another person was stopped for violating a municipal bylaw.

Obstruction, mischief and armed assault of a police officer were the other reasons for the arrests, the SPVM said.

Police said that during one of the marches, two acts of mischief took place, relating to cars near the corner of Sherbrooke and Amherst streets.

Earlier in the day, another march was held in Montreal's Park Extension neighbourhood.

Marches are held every year in Montreal and cities around the world on May 1 to mark May Day, which became known in the 19th century as a day to honour the rights of workers.