Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned violent protests in Montreal Friday night as the city hosted delegates for the annual parliamentary assembly of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
"What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling," Trudeau wrote Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. "Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them." He added that the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) is in communication with local police, stating "there must be consequences and rioters held accountable."
Newsweek contacted Trudeau's office via email on Saturday for comment.
What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling. Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them.
The RCMP are in communication with local police. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable.
The demonstration, organized by Divest for Palestine collective and independent labor union CLAC or the Christian Labour Association of Canada, coincided with Montreal's hosting of the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Approximately 300 delegates from NATO members and partner states are attending the four-day event, which runs from November 22-25.
According to Montreal police spokesperson Const. Manuel Couture, the protest began at Place Émilie-Gamelin around 4:30 p.m. before merging with another demonstration near Place des Arts. The demonstration escalated around 6:10 p.m. when protesters lit a mannequin on fire and began throwing objects including smoke bombs and metal barriers at police.
Three people were arrested - a 22-year-old woman for obstructing police work and assaulting an officer, and two men aged 22 and 28 for obstructing police work. All three were released pending court appearances according to local authorities.
Police deployed chemical irritants and other crowd control measures after protesters set two vehicles ablaze and vandalized multiple storefronts, including windows at the Palais des congrès. The demonstration was dispersed by 7 p.m.
Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum, Defense Minister Bill Blair characterized the events not as lawful protest but as "anarchy," saying "This was engagement in violence and hatred on display in the city of Montreal." Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly added that "violence, hate and antisemitism... has no place on our streets."
Montreal police noted they had not received any reports of antisemitic acts or hate crimes related to the demonstration as of Saturday afternoon.
Quebec Premier François Legault condemned the events, writing on X that "The violent and hateful scenes we witnessed last night in the streets of Montreal, with attacks specifically targeting the Jewish community, are unacceptable," adding that "burning cars and smashing windows is not about sending a message, it's about causing chaos."
The protest coincided with the second day of student-held pro-Palestinian strikes across Quebec. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been occurring across Canada since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.
According to Gaza officials, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 44,000 people and displaced nearly all the enclave's population at least once. The conflict began following an October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the taking of more than 250 hostages.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante condemned the "shocking" actions, stating they have no place in a peaceful city like Montreal, and thanked police for making arrests.
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