4 students arrested in Quebec after video shows teen repeatedly hit in the face

WARNING: The video above contains graphic violence and may not be suitable for all viewers. 

Police on Montreal's South Shore say four teenagers have been arrested in connection with a video showing a violent attack on a 16-year-old boy near a high school.

The graphic video shows someone repeatedly punching a teenager in the head while he is on his knees as other youths look on.

The incident happened near the École secondaire du Mont-Bruno, near Longueuil, on Tuesday.

Longueuil police (SPAL) wrote in a post on Facebook that four teens who attend the school have been arrested, adding that it is enhancing patrols in light of the violent act. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The students implicated in the video have been suspended, according to Education Minister Bernard Drainville, who described the incident as "outrageous."

"My heart goes out to the student who was subjected to this violence. Violence in all its forms has no place in our schools," Drainville wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police said they intervened as soon as they were made aware of the video.

"After analyzing the investigative elements collected to date the SPAL has arrested four suspects who could face charges of assault with injuries, armed assault and forcible confinement," Longueuil police spokesperson François Boucher told CTV News.

No charges have been laid as of Wednesday evening.

According to information obtained by Noovo Info, the altercation happened following an incident on a bus. Teenagers are believed to have accused the teen who was hit in the face of trying to remove a young woman's hijab, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women. The alleged assailants then wanted to avenge her by attacking him.

Boucher would not comment on the circumstances of the altercation because the investigation is still ongoing.

Police said they will send prevention teams to the school in collaboration with the school service centre, the Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes, to provide support to the victim and other students.

When interviewed by Noovo Info on Wednesday, students reported other incidents of violence and bullying at the school.

Longueuil police say this was one of the most troubling incidents they've seen in a long time.

"It's never acceptable," said police spokesperson Ghyslain Vallières, who condemned the fact that other students watched as the youth was beaten.

"Nobody did anything in this event. And people were actually videotaping it and after that they didn't share it with the police."

Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel also reacted to the video, the latest act of violence in Quebec schools in recent months.

"Violence has no place in or out of the classroom," he wrote in a social media post, which also praised the "swift" work of police officers. 

"My thoughts are with the victim and his family."

The school service centre said in a news release that, "Since yesterday, the students involved have all been met by the school administration, and action has been taken for the victim, the perpetrators and the witnesses."

With files from Noovo Info