OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday called violent protests that took place outside a NATO meeting days prior “absolutely unacceptable” and said he expects the perpetrators to face consequences.
“As a democracy, as a country that will always defend freedom of speech, it’s important for people to be able to go out and protest and express their anger, their disagreements in free and comfortable ways. But there is never any room for antisemitism, for hatred, discrimination, for violence,” said Trudeau addressing the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that has been meeting in the city, prompting applause from the room.
“We expect all those responsible to be pursued and punished under the full extent of the law, and we expect the authorities to do their work.”
Montreal police have already arrested three people and are expected to arrest some more following an anti-NATO demonstration that began late Friday afternoon, which included torching cars and smashing building windows. The pictures that circulated heavily on social media showed “Free Palestine” chants, smoke bombs and masked protesters.
The protest was organized by the groups Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles, although it’s unclear who was responsible for the criminal acts. A police spokesperson said the demonstrators were completely dispersed at around 7 p.m.
Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum this weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Bill Blair condemned Friday’s demonstration.
“The fact that there was violence in the streets of my hometown was completely 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,” said Joly.
“Of course, we believe in freedom of speech, we believe in the freedom to demonstrate but where we draw the line is when there’s violence.”
Blair, a former police chief, said “this was nothing like lawful, peaceful protest” and said there was “anarchy” in the streets of Montreal.
“I believe that lawful, peaceful protest can be coopted by anarchists who have other agendas. Those agendas were quite apparent by the activities of that mob yesterday and those behaviours were unacceptable and we condemn them — and particularly the hate and antisemitism that was on display in the strongest possible terms.”
Friday’s protests followed another demonstration on Thursday which saw Mai Abdulhadi, a Second Cup franchise owner at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital, allegedly giving the Nazi salute and shouting “the final solution is coming” — a phrase associated with Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate Jews. Second Cup announced the termination of the franchisee on Saturday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre placed responsibility on the violence in the streets of Montreal on Trudeau and lambasted him for being at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto with his family the same evening protesters were breaking windows and burning cars.
“We are reaping what you sowed,” wrote Poilievre on X in response to Trudeau’s statement. “This is what happens when a Prime Minister spends 9 years pushing toxic woke identity politics, dividing and subdividing people by race, gender, vaccine status, religion, region, age, wealth, etc.”
— With files from Montreal Gazette and The Canadian Press.
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