A demonstration against NATO and the war in Gaza turned sour Friday evening in downtown Montreal. “Professional thugs” took the opportunity to set fire to vehicles, smash windows and throw paint.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
Who were the protesters?
The demonstration was organized by the activist organization NATO Counter-Summit, which opposed the holding of the NATO Annual Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal last weekend. The demonstrators also included people who came to express their opposition to the war in Gaza.
What happened?
Acts of mayhem and vandalism were committed during the demonstration in downtown Montreal.
Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal, went to neighborhood station 20 in downtown Montreal on Monday to support the police. “We saw the images at the end of the week. These are shocking images. We have seen thugs who, without any embarrassment, break windows. We saw vehicles set on fire. Demonstrating is a fundamental right, but violence has no place. »
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Police officers sprayed protesters with pepper spray during the demonstration.
Who caused the mayhem?
The misdeeds were committed by a small group of “professional thugs” who took advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, reported Valérie Plante.
“Those who were there to cause damage, to break up windows for no reason, by provocation or to divert attention, they are known to the police. It could have been a demonstration on housing, on the economy, on support for Palestine… they would have been there. On Friday, there were families, there were strollers, and these people are hijacking the meaning of the peaceful demonstration. »
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) has had to supervise more than 500 demonstrations, recalled the mayor. “The police have my full support,” she said.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, affirmed that the thugs were “known to the police” and reiterated her support for the SPVM.
Have there been any arrests?
Three people were arrested, and other arrests should occur in the coming days, said Valérie Plante. “Investigators are taking their time to do things well so that the accusations are solid in court,” she said.
On Sunday, CBC reported that a Second Cup franchisee had her connection to the chain severed after she made anti-Semitic remarks Thursday during a protest against Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. The remarks were recorded and relayed on social networks.
The mayor denounced these comments. “Everyone must feel included in Montreal. All communities have their place and the right to live in safety. »
What was the objective of this demonstration against NATO?
The demonstration aimed to oppose Canada’s participation in NATO, declared Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec and member of the Quebec Movement for Peace, Monday, at a press briefing in downtown Montreal.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The demonstration aimed to oppose Canada’s participation in NATO.
“We want a peaceful solution, a negotiated solution” to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he explained.
Mr. Tyrrell stressed that he looked favorably on Donald Trump’s coming to power. “Maybe he will want to negotiate with Vladimir Putin and stop the war. If we do not negotiate with Putin, we will not reach a compromise. We are positioning ourselves for years and years of war. »
Even at the cost of seeing Ukraine lose a large part of its territory? “This is already reality,” says Mr. Tyrrell, who did not want to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, affirming that Vladimir Putin had no choice.
Amnesty International, which has investigated the massacres committed in Ukraine since 2022, described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “war of aggression” that contravenes international law. Amnesty emphasizes that the Russian invasion cannot be justified by security concerns, thus contradicting the justifications put forward by Putin to this effect.
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