Violence erupted at an anti-NATO protest in Montreal last night (Friday).
The demonstration, organized by Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles, began peacefully, but took a violent turn around 6:10 p.m. when protesters reached St-Urbain Street.
It then descended into chaos as protesters set two vehicles ablaze, smashed windows at a NATO conference venue, and hurled metal barriers into the streets.
Witnesses reported seeing demonstrators burn an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before launching explosive devices and metal objects at police.
By 6:40 p.m., two vehicles were set on fire and multiple businesses along St-Urbain Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard suffered property damage. Police dispersed the crowds by 7:00 p.m. using chemical irritants.
Police made multiple arrests after smoke bombs were deployed, forcing authorities to disperse the crowd.
The incident has sparked political controversy, with Quebec Senator Leo Housakos criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's absence. "While Justin Trudeau is partying it up in Toronto, I was meeting with several members of the Jewish community of Montreal," Housakos posted on X. "The pro-Hamas crowd [was] emboldened by Mr. Trudeau's pledge to arrest the Israeli PM. Hope you had fun at the concert, though, Justin."
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Defense Minister Bill Blair also delivered stern rebukes today (Shabbat) from the Halifax International Security Forum, with Blair characterizing the events as "anarchy" rather than peaceful protest. "What we saw was not peaceful protest. What we saw was actually violence, hate and antisemitism, and this has no place on our streets," Joly declared, while emphasizing the government's commitment to free speech stops at the point of violence.
Jpost and the Washington Post contributed to this article.