The conflict in the Middle East continues to heat up university campuses across the country. One person was arrested and at least three others were injured at Concordia University after an altercation linked to the war between Israel and Hamas lasted nearly three hours and turned violent Friday afternoon. noon.
Several images of the events are circulating on social networks. A Jewish activist says the conflict erupted when Palestinian students “attacked” a gathering of members of her community in a building on the Concordia campus in downtown Montreal.
Violently attacking Jewish students on campus is not progressive but it’s what happens when we allow for hateful rhetoric to go unchecked- that includes calling Jews colonizers. Enough @Concordia pic.twitter.com/CmPieOBPUK
— YsabellaHazan (@ysabellahazan) November 8, 2023
“During their intervention, the police arrested a 22-year-old student for having committed assault against a 54-year-old security guard. A 2e A 19-year-old security guard and a 23-year-old student were injured following assaults received during the altercation,” indicates the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).
Emergency services were called around 1:30 p.m. and police remained on the scene until 4:15 p.m.
Investigations are underway.
Governments call for calm
“Too many students fear for their safety, we cannot tolerate these excesses,” declared on X the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry. I spoke earlier with the rector of Concordia to ensure that order is restored on campus. François Bonnardel [ministre de la Sécurité publique] and I appeal for calm and are monitoring the situation very closely. »
“Acts of violence such as those which affected Concordia students today and the attack on a synagogue yesterday are unacceptable,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
Justin Trudeau had rightly deplored the “appalling” rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the country, in a speech delivered to Parliament on Wednesday morning. He invited Canadians to stay united and “listen to each other better” in the context of the conflict that has been raging for more than a month.
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