An investigation has been opened by Montreal police after one of its patrol officers was injured by a laser pointed in his direction by protesters at the pro-Palestinian encampment in Victoria Square.
According to our information, the police officer in question suffered eye injuries.
Officers from the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) have been monitoring the area around Victoria Square in downtown Montreal at all times since protesters set up camp there on June 22.
They are demanding in particular that the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) withdraw its investments in companies “complicit in the Israeli occupation” and the closure of the Quebec office in Tel Aviv.
Read the article “A pro-Palestinian camp in Victoria Square”
However, protesters from this camp have pointed lasers at the police on several occasions in recent days, including most recently on the night of June 27-28.
The event during which the patrol officer was injured, however, dates back to June 24, indicates the SPVM, which does not, however, provide any information on the causes of his injury.
“The investigation will really establish why and in what circumstances he was injured,” said his spokesperson, Sabrina Gauthier.
Arrests expected in case of repeat offense
The SPVM also met with a liaison officer from the camp to warn that such actions against its police officers will no longer be tolerated. “If other events like these occur or other criminal acts, we will intervene immediately to stop the offence,” summarizes Sabrina Gauthier.
The investigation into “assault and bodily harm” opened by the SPVM could lead to arrests, she said.
No spokesperson for the Divest for Palestine collective, which initiated the Victoria Square camp, was available to answer our questions on Sunday evening.
Seemingly harmless, the use of certain laser pointers “has caused vision problems for pilots, vehicle operators and the general public,” the Canadian Association of Optometrists says on its website.
This is not the first time that tensions have been reported between law enforcement and protesters at pro-Palestinian camps in Montreal.
At the end of May, protesters from the Pierre-Dansereau Science Complex camp on the UQAM campus reportedly threw chairs and tables at police officers.
Read the article “Pro-Palestinian Camp: Tensions Rise at UQAM”
Tensions also rose when protesters temporarily blocked an intersection, prompting police intervention.
With Daniel Renaud, The Press