Two groups of protestors were in a tense standoff this afternoon in front of Montreal's City Hall on Saturday.
The clashes were between supporters and opponents of a Parliamentary motion condemning Islamophobia.
One group, La Meute, claims to be against certain immigration policies, and says its views align with Pro-Quebec values. The protest, they believe, is an assertion of their right to free speech.
"This motion will lead to more restrictive laws," said La Meute member Stephane Roques.
Clad in black and waving red flags, some eyewitnesses said that La Meute was the more hostile of the two groups.
The other group, said they're against the rise of Islamophobia and are aiming to promote solidarity and openness.
On one side, some protestors carried signs calling for free speech and waved the flags of right wing groups that have sprung up in Quebec recently, while their opponents chanted anti-fascist slogans and expressed support for immigrants and Muslims.
"They're hiding behind free speech but they've clearly expressed ideas that are racist, islamophobia and against immigrants," said Jaggi Singh, a member of Solidarity Without Borders.
The two groups, which each appeared to be between 100 and 200 people, then held parallel marches through the streets of Montreal.
Despite police efforts to keep the two sides apart, some isolated scuffles occurred between the two sides as tempers flared.
Police say there were no arrests or injuries.
Similar protests were held in other cities around the province including Quebec City.
An Ontario Liberal backbencher, Iqra Khalid, brought forward the motion in Parliament last year, and since then she has received numerous racist and sexually derogatory emails that were laced with expletives.
Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, who prominently backed the motion, also found herself on the receiving end of similar kinds of messages.
The Opposition tried to pass an amendment last month removing the word "Islamophobia" from the motion, saying it singles out one religious group over others.
But the Liberals used their majority to block the effort.
Protests against the motion were expected to take place in several other Canadian cities including Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto
With files from The Canadian Press.
