Police boosting presence in Montreal ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary of Israel-Hamas war
Montreal police say they are increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Deputy Chief Vincent Richer told reporters that police have been in contact with the city’s Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities and will focus much of their attention on places of worship over the next few days.
Numerous protests or vigils are planned for this weekend, including in front of McGill University, the site where students set up an encampment for several months demanding the school cut ties with Israel.
McGill has announced it will be restricting access to its campuses from Oct. 5 to 7 and has moved some of its classes online in anticipation of potential tensions that may boil over.
More than 340 protests related to the war in the Gaza Strip have taken place in Montreal over the past year, with police making more than 100 arrests.
Richer said police began putting more officers on the ground on Oct. 1 and will continue that approach for the next 24 days.
Earlier this week, police arrested five people in Montreal with incendiary devices in their possession, in separate incidents they say are linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Police say they have recorded a total of 288 hate crime complaints since Oct. 7, 2023, with 213 targeting the Jewish community and 75 aimed at the Arab-Muslim community.
Forty-one people have been charged with hate crimes.
“We want to make sure that people feel safe in Montreal," Richer said.
-This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump for a postelection meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said Saturday.
Here are new guidelines for preventing stroke
The majority of strokes could be prevented, according to new guidelines aimed at helping people and their doctors do just that.
1 monkey recovered safely, 42 others remain on the run from South Carolina lab
One of 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina has been recovered unharmed, officials said Saturday.
Actor Tony Todd, known for his role in the movie 'Candyman' and its sequel, dies at 69
Actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, has died, his longtime manager confirmed. He was 69.
Qatar is suspending its role in talks between Israel and Hamas, sources say
Qatar is suspending its role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the two sides are no longer negotiating in good faith, two sources familiar with the situation tell CNN.
Cynics not only lose out on friendships, love and opportunity — they're also wrong about human nature
Cynicism is on the rise. Should that come as any surprise given today’s divisive global conflicts and our fraught political landscape? Even the weather seems like it’s out to get us.
Man charged with participating in march with flaming torch has pleaded guilty to lesser charge
Another man charged with carrying a flaming torch with the intent to intimidate during a 2017 rally at the University of Virginia campus has agreed to a plea deal.
Opinion Was music really better when you were younger? Or is your mind deceiving you?
As I see other generations of music lovers say music was so much better when they were younger, I wondered why. We can’t all be right — or maybe we are? I talked to experts in how music influences our brains to find out.
Tens of thousands of Spaniards demand the resignation of Valencia leader for bungling flood response
Thousands of Spaniards marched in the eastern city of Valencia on Saturday to demand the resignation of the regional president in charge of the emergency response to last week's catastrophic floods that left more than 200 dead and others missing.