With chants of "so-so-so-solidarite!" a major protest against Parliament prorogation took place at Emilie-Gamelin Park Saturday.

Approximately 400 demonstrators were on hand to lend their voices to more than 40 rallies planned across the country to protest the Conservative government's decision last month to call a Parliamentary time out.

"A minority government that represents less than half of Canada decided that they can prorogue parliament in the same year that we're going to be hosting the Olympics, the G8 and G20 summits. I think it's an embarrassment to our country that our government would do such a thing," said protestors Cameron Fenton in Montreal from the group Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.

One large protest was expected in Ottawa, where demonstrators were joined by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, the NDP's Jack Layton and the Green Party's Elizabeth May.

Organizers said the protests are a reaction against what many feel is an abuse of power by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government.

In Montreal, Liberal MP Marlene Jennings said the prorogation was a tactic to allow Harper to evade pressing issues.

"Mr. Harper doesn't like to be accountable. Any time Mr. Harper is asked hard questions that he doesn't want to answer, we've seen what he does: He cuts and runs," said Jennings.

"King Stephen the First will be King Stephen the Last, and we're going to get rid of the conservatives and Stephen Harper as soon as possible," said NDP MP Thomas Mulcair.

Harper requested that Parliament be prorogued as the opposition parties pressed the Conservatives on the Afghan prisoner abuse issue.

The pause also coincides with next month's Olympics, with some critics complaining that the government is muting criticism as the world comes to Vancouver. Parliament will resume again in early March.

Parliament was also suspended in December 2008, in response to an opposition plan that aimed to dethrone the Conservatives.

Toronto protest organizer Jonathan Allen said protests began with a Facebook group that has now attracted upwards of 210,000 members.

"We bestow upon the government the authority to govern, but we do not bestow upon them the authority to abuse their constitutional privileges," said Allen.

"It's just not right, actually," said Allen.

Allen said protests will also take place in major cities in other countries.

"These are concerned expatriate Canadians that are not happy with the fact that the government has decided to prorogue Parliament for partisan purposes, as opposed to the good of the state."

With files from CTV.ca News Staff