A few hundred people, including many from the Montreal Jewish community, gathered at 12:30 p.m. in front of the main entrance to McGill University, in the heart of downtown Montreal, to commemorate the Israelis who died on October 7, 2023.
The gathering took place under high security, two walls of police protected it at both ends on Sherbrooke Street, in addition to a private security service which was on the lookout.
Draped in Israeli flags, or holding signs bearing the faces of those still held hostage by Hamas, the people gathered listened to speeches, testimonies, and sang songs in Hebrew. It all ended with the Israeli national anthem. Then they quickly dispersed.
The riot unit of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) was deployed on the outskirts, just in front of the university’s Roddick gate, which has been the site of numerous demonstrations over the past year.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters, from Gaza, entered Israeli territory to massacre civilians, triggering an imposing military response from the IDF, the Israeli army – which has continued since and even extended to other countries, including Lebanon.
Sherbrooke Street, a major artery in the city center, was temporarily closed to automobile traffic on Monday at lunchtime. The entrance to the campus there, monitored by mounted police, is blocked for the day.
A handful of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered on the edge of the police walls, about 200 meters from the vigil. They chanted slogans in several languages, including “Israel, get out of there, Palestine is not yours” and “Israel is murdering the children of Palestine,” they said in French.
They did not approach and waited until the vigil was over to play their music on loudspeakers.
A large march of people who support the people of Palestine must also end at this exact location. She must leave Concordia University around 2 p.m.
Other events planned
Several other demonstrations are planned in downtown Montreal this Monday, including in the evening, to remember, denounce and mourn the deaths which began to accumulate on October 7, 2023 in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Anticipating the gatherings which mark one year since October 7, 2023, the Police Department of the city of Montreal said it was ready for any eventuality at a press briefing Friday morning, through which it informed Montrealers of the security measures that would be put in place. It also promised increased police visibility.
McGill and Concordia universities, where many activities have taken place over the past year to denounce atrocities committed in the Middle East, have both announced that their security measures will be reinforced around this sad anniversary. They allow teachers to offer their courses online on Monday.
Further details will follow.