The city of Montreal will pay more than 3 million dollars to hundreds of protesters whose rights were violated by the city police.

The settlement will also end eight long-standing lawsuits against the city alleging that participants in six protests were illegally arrested or detained by the police and were unable to exercise other fundamental rights.

The law firm representing the class members stated earlier this week in a notice approved by the court that the city will also post an apology on its website acknowledging that "some actions" by the city police and municipal administration violated the fundamental rights of the protesters.

The protests, which occurred between June 2012 and March 2014, included marches against police brutality and a city bylaw limiting protests, as well as a demonstration on the first anniversary of the start of student protests against tuition fee increases.

The settlement still requires the approval of the Quebec Superior Court, with a hearing scheduled for December 21.

Additionally, the city of Montreal agreed to pay a total of 6 million dollars to settle the eight lawsuits in addition to eight other similar class actions.