One student was arrested and three people were slightly injured after pro-Palestinian students confronted Jewish students at Montreal’s Concordia University in a tense altercation on Nov. 8.
A 22-year-old student who assaulted a 54-year-old security guard was arrested, and another security guard and student sustained minor injuries as well, Montreal Police (SPVM) said.
Federation CJA said a group of Jewish students set up a kiosk at the university to raise awareness about the hostages being held in Gaza and were approached by a group who harassed them and used racial slurs such as ‘k-ke’ to intimidate them.
The altercation resulted in students being shoved and Israeli flags being torn down. Hillel Concordia described the incident as “aggressive” and said that “antisemitic sentiment was prevalent.”
A Jewish student who was there, but did not want their name used, told The CJN that a student was pulled onto a table by his legs and got hit in the head which resulted in his glasses getting broken.
The student said that security was not helpful during the incident.
“If this was done to another minority group, it would be a scandal,” the student said. “But whatever was done to the Jews was turned against them.”
The dispute lasted three hours, according to SPVM.
Graham Carr, president and vice-chancellor of Concordia said that swastikas were also discovered on campus. “The university unreservedly condemns these deplorable acts and will make every effort to identify and bring those responsible to account for their behavior,” he said. “I believe that the overwhelming majority of our community shares my complete abhorrence of these incidents and is appalled by them.”
The arrests followed a disturbing series of incidents in Montreal.
Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Montreal-area synagogue and Jewish Federation building on Nov. 7. No one was injured and there was little property damage.
Quebec’s Minister for Higher Education Pascale Déry denounced the event, saying on social media, “The situation is worrying. We must be able to demonstrate peacefully and debate calmly. Intimidation, violence and incitement to hatred have no place.”
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also posted a statement on X addressing both hateful incidents this week, saying “Acts of violence such as those that affected Concordia students today and the attack on a synagogue are unacceptable. These hateful acts have absolutely no place in Montreal: a city of peace, security and kindness.”
Montreal police will investigate the incidents, she said, and “will not skimp on the means to maintain the security of our metropolis.”