Montreal police investigate if the Middle East turmoil is connected to the incendiary items and five arrests
“It appears to be the case,” he said. “Those arrests are extremely encouraging, but we still live in a time when demonstrations are fostering hate.”
Montreal police (SPVM) arrested five individuals, including three teenagers, who were found in possession of incendiary materials in Côte Saint-Luc and the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG) borough early Wednesday morning.
An investigation is currently underway, and in a press release issued on Wednesday night, the SPVM stated that “one of its aims is to determine whether these events are local repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East.”
“Obviously it took place, we say that it’s near to synagogues. Is there a link? Do we know yet? We don’t know if there’s a link, but rest assured that our investigators will look upon that because yes, there’s a lot of synagogues around the area,” explained Montreal police spokesperson Manuel Couture on Thursday morning. “It’s our unit of the Arson Squad who is investigating on that. And they will try to know if there’s a link with everything concerning the community, Jewish community, or the conflict…in the Moyen-Orient (Middle East).”
Two Vehicles Intercepted
At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the SPVM first stopped a vehicle at the intersection of Décarie Blvd. and Isabella Ave. in CDN-NDG. “The occupants were a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds. Incendiary objects were found inside the vehicle,” police explained.
“Fifteen minutes later, following a report from Côte Saint-Luc public security, the SPVM apprehended two adults, aged 20 and 22, near the intersection of Chemin Kildare and Cavendish Blvd. The vehicle also contained incendiary material,” the SPVM press release stated.
After their arrest, the suspects were released under certain conditions and with a promise to appear at the Montreal courthouse (for the two adults) and at the Youth Division of the Court of Quebec (for the three minors).
Rising Hate Crimes Against Jewish and Muslim Communities
In the past year, there has been a noticeable increase in hate crimes and incidents directed at both the Jewish and Muslim communities in the city.
“Montreal has been the epicenter of hate,” stated Marvin Rotrand, Director General of United Against Hate Canada. “There have been shootings at Jewish schools, fire bombings of Jewish institutions, attacks against synagogues.”
Rotrand believes it is “not far-fetched to say that given there’s already been a series of attacks for which there’s been exactly one arrest in Montreal, only one arrest, multiple incidents, that this was part of a plot.”
Police data indicates that from October 7, 2023, to October 2, 2024, there have been a total of 288 hate crimes or incidents targeting the Jewish or Muslim communities in Montreal.
“When we condemn Islamophobia, we condemn anti-Semitism; when we call for calm, we call for calm for all communities,” said Samer Mazjoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum. “When we advocate for freedom of expression, we do so for all communities. We urge the SPVM to swiftly investigate and determine the intentions of those individuals. There’s no space for violence anywhere in our city.”
Specifically, there were 75 incidents against the Muslim community and 213 directed at the Jewish community. It’s possible that more incidents have occurred that have not been reported to the police, as these figures only reflect reports made to the SPVM.
This surge in tensions coincides with McGill University increasing security on its campuses from October 5 to 7, following an “impromptu protest” on Sunday night that resulted in vandalized and broken windows at Concordia University and affected downtown businesses. More pro-Palestinian protests are planned for those days.
“In the lead-up to October 7, police officers will be on the lookout and exercising heightened surveillance to ensure the safety of Montrealers,” the police stated. They highlighted their “increased visibility and surveillance plan” in collaboration with partners, claiming it is “bearing fruit.”
Couture mentioned that the SPVM has deployed more officers to the streets.
Meanwhile, Rotrand has called on Mayor Valérie Plante and SPVM police chief Fady Dagher to make strong statements regarding the current situation and to ensure greater visibility from officers.
“It appears to be the case,” he said. “Those arrests are extremely encouraging, but we still live in a time when demonstrations are fostering hate.”
Call for Information
The investigation into the five arrests involving alleged incendiary objects is being led by the SPVM’s Arson and Explosives Unit and is ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 911 or their local police station. Additionally, tips can be submitted anonymously and confidentially to Info-Crime Montréal at 514-393-1133 or through their online reporting form. “Documentation, whether it comes from Statistics Canada, police departments in all our major cities, or the B’nai Brith audit of 2023, shows that Jews are disproportionately targeted,” Rotrand stated.
“Please note that these statistics are based on a pre-survey summary analysis. They are therefore subject to change and are continually updated, particularly in light of the results of investigations. As a result, the number of hate crimes or incidents may vary, either upwards or downwards, over time,” Montreal police informed CityNews.
