Anti-Israel protestors took to the streets of Montreal on Friday night setting cars on fire, smashing up shop windows and burning an effigy in the middle of the street of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The riots began at around 4:30pm at Émilie-Gamelin Parc downtown as darkness fell in the Canadian city.
But the protests quickly turned violent as protestors hurled small explosive devices and pieces of metal were thrown at police officers.
Others set about committing acts of wanton vandalism smashing up store fronts using hammers and planks of wood while also cars ablaze.
At one point protesters marched through the city with many carrying Palestinian flags and banners while releasing red smoke bombs into the crowd to create a sense of anarchy and chaos.
Tensions reached a high point as demonstrators burned an effigy of Netanyahu in the middle of the street.
Montreal police responded by deploying chemical irritants and implemented crowd-control tactics to regain order.
Riot police were seen confronting the protesters on St-Laurent Boulevard.
Anti-Israel protestors burned an effigy in the middle of the street of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
At one point protesters managed to release red smoke bombs into the crowd.
Protestors marched through the city with many carrying Palestinian flags and banners
Just three arrests were made for assaults on police officers and the ‘obstruction of police work.’
Police in riot gear were forced to spray tear gas into the crowd in order to get the protestors to disburse.
The Montreal Gazette described police as using ‘chemical irritants and crowd-dispersal maneuvers’ to regain control.
Footage of the unrest was posted to social media all while Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could be seen enjoying himself at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto.
The jarring images left at least one Canadian Senator seething at the Canadian PM’s indifference.
‘Tonight, while Justin Trudeau is partying it up in Toronto, I was meeting with several members of the Jewish community of Montreal,’ wrote Quebec Senator Leo Housakos.
‘Meanwhile, this is our hometown tonight. The pro-Hamas crowd emboldened by Mr. Trudeau’s pledge to arrest the Israeli PM. Hope you had fun at the concert, though, Justin.’
‘Crazy night is going over the city of Montreal, Canada, one huge chaos as anti-Israel protestors go into meltdown on the streets,’ one user posted online.
‘People thought they would find their car in the morning, but the parked cars were set on fire tonight. To help Gaza. Our country is being destroyed over a conflict that doesn’t even involve Canada in any way.’
Meanwhile, Canada’s Prime Minister enjoy Justin Trudeau could be seen enjoying himself at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto
Anti-Israel protesters in Montreal are seen setting an effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu on fire
The mob quickly got out of control and starting to smash up store windows
Many in the crowd wore face masks to voice being identified. Smoke bombs added to the chaos
Parked cars were broken into an set ablaze in downtown Montreal
Riot police deployed tear gas in an effort to try to disburse the crowd on Friday night
The protest coincided with a NATO summit in Montreal, where delegates from member states and partner nations had gathered to discuss issues including Ukraine, climate change, and NATO’s strategic future.
It also came on the heels of heightened tensions in the city following a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including a significant protest at Concordia University on Thursday that involved confrontations between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators.
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense chief Yoav Gallant, and for a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
All EU countries are members of the court, which means they are supposed to enforce its warrants.
Smoke filled the air as protestors released smoke bombs as they rioted
Aside from being anti-Israel the protest was also anti-NATO in its nature
At at least one Canadian Senator was seething as seeing the chaos unfold
Similarly, Trudeau expressed that Canada would comply with the arrest warrant in the unlikely event Netanyahu should visit the country.
‘It’s really important that everyone abide by international law. This is something we’ve been calling on from the beginning of the conflict. We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts. This is just who we are as Canadians,’ Trudeau said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s office criticized the arrest warrants, labeling them as an anti-Semitic move, while Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, Iddo Moed, urged the Canadian government to reject and condemn the ICC decision, framing it as undermining Israel’s right to self-defense.
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