Video of an anti-NATO/pro-Palestine protest Friday night shows windows being smashed at the Montreal Convention Centre as a flare releases red smoke. NATO delegates are in the city this weekend to discuss support for Ukraine, climate change and the future of the alliance.
The Globe and Mail
Montreal police clashed with anti-NATO and pro-Palestinian protesters Friday night, making three arrests.
Multiple videos on social media showed protesters attempting to smash windows of the downtown Montreal convention centre and police charging, using tear gas and pepper spray.
Early in the demonstration, Montreal police posted on X that it carried out “a dispersal operation” because of “several infractions committed during the ongoing protest.”
Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said two men, 22 and 28, and a woman, 22, were arrested. They all face charges of obstructing a police officer in their duty. The woman was also charged with assaulting a peace officer.
Ms. Dubuc said one civilian and one police officer suffered minor injuries.
A frame grab from video shows a pro-Palestinian protest in downtown Montreal on Friday that police said led to three arrests.Scopal via Reuters
But Benoît Allard, a spokesperson for Divest for Palestine, which organized the protest with the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles, said four protesters were taken to hospital.
Two people had difficulty breathing because of the chemicals used by police, one suffered a broken arm, and one needed stitches on the head and might have suffered a concussion after police hit them with a baton, Mr. Allard said.
“What we saw yesterday was a lot of violence from the police,” he said in an interview Saturday.
A few broken windows and glass doors were boarded up at the convention centre Saturday as police continued to patrol the area.
More protests are expected over the weekend as the NATO parliamentary assembly sits in Montreal from Nov. 22 to 25. Police are prepared to intervene if needed, Ms. Dubuc said.
Delegates from NATO member states and partner countries are discussing issues including support for Ukraine, climate change and the future of the alliance.
The protesting groups denounce military budget increases and the “Canadian complicity in the genocide in Palestine” through the country’s support of Israel.
Following the instigating attack by Hamas on Israel Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s 13-month campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and displaced nearly all the enclave’s population at least once, according to Gaza officials. Israeli strikes also killed at least 3,645 people in Lebanon since October, 2023, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Speaking to reporters at the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Defence Minister Bill Blair said the actions of the protesters were unacceptable.
“What we saw was not peaceful protest. What we saw was actually violence, hate and antisemitism, and this has no place on our streets,” Ms. Joly said.
“Of course, we believe in the freedom of speech, we believe in the freedom to demonstrate, but where we draw the line is when there’s violence.”
Mr. Blair added the demonstration “was nothing like lawful, peaceful protests.” Instead, he called the demonstrations an act of “anarchy” by a “mob.”
“It was engagement in violence and hatred on display in the City of Montreal,” Mr. Blair said.
“Those behaviours are unacceptable and we can condemn them, and in particular the hatred and antisemitism that was on display, in the strongest possible terms.”
With reports from the Associated Press and The Canadian Press
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include details of the instigating attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.