Montreal mayor says Friday pro-Palestinian protests were taken over by 'professional vandals'

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante held a news conference to comment on a weekend of pro-Palestinian and anti-NATO protests in the city Monday afternoon.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told journalists at a news conference she believes the pro-Palestinian and anti-NATO protests that took place on Friday were taken over "by professional vandals." 

She said it's a common occurence in Montreal for "agitators," often known as the Black Bloc, to show up at protests in the city to vandalize and smash windows and police are used to it. Protesters smashed windows at the Palais des Congrès, where NATO officials were meeting all weekend.

"The protest itself was to share concern about what’s happening in Palestine and vandals took over the protest," Plante said. 

"It’s using a cause to break things and put people’s security at risk. Protesting is a sign of a healthy democracy, but the vandals are just thinking of themselves and not the cause or the effects it will have one everyone else," she added. 

Friday's protest was organized by the groups Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles (CLAC), who said they were against NATO's "complicity with Israel's military while it's conducting its genocide in Gaza, … war crimes in Lebanon, Syria." and that "it's enforcing illegal occupation of Palestinian territories."

Reports from TVA journalists show that one of the two cars that were lit on fire during the protest may have been damaged by a tear gas cannister. Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said she couldn't confirm whether the fire was started by police or by protesters and an investigation is ongoing.

Police arrested a 22-year-old woman for obstructing police work and assaulting a police officer, as well as two men, 22 and 28, both for obstructing police work. All three were released and will appear in court at a later date.

When pressed by journalists on what will happen to protesters who were arrested, Plante said the legal system is equipped to handle it and there will likely be more arrests in the coming days. She also specified that there are no longer rules around covering one's face at protests since the bylaw was struck down in court. 

When asked by a journalist if she believed Friday's protests were antisemitic, she said "no." 

Plante condemned the actions of one woman who was filmed making antisemitic gestures and making hateful comments at a protest last Thursday, and said Second Cup made the right decision by removing her from the franchise. 

"Antisemitism and islamophobia are completely unacceptable," she said. "We need to protect both sides." 

Editor's note: The headline for this article has been modified to better reflect Mayor Plante's comments. Visit our website for our editorial standards.