Two Montreal Jewish schools were targeted by gunfire during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. These acts constitute “terrorism”, reacted Thursday the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville.
The Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) confirmed this morning that it had opened an investigation into the events, which did not result in any injuries.
It was staff members of these schools, located in Côte-des-Neiges and Outremont, who noticed the gunshots in the morning. “There is at least one impact on the entrance doors of the two schools,” said SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant. “There is no graffiti or hate messages,” he said. One of the targeted establishments houses the premises of an early childhood center.
In Quebec, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, said he was “very worried” about the events. “It’s a form of terrorism when you start shooting at schools,” he said. “So we don’t want to give in to that,” he added. He specified that the management of the two establishments had chosen to keep the schools open, with increased security measures. “We will remain extremely cautious. We do not want to endanger the safety of our children,” he said.
“The current rise in anti-Semitism, the rise in hateful gestures and words and acts towards the Jewish community, is something very worrying and it must stop,” said the minister.
His colleague Christopher Skeete, head of the Fight against Racism, denounced the current climate: “a schism which means that we are stuck in a dialogue of the deaf” according to him. “This is why it is important to come and speak today with a voice to say the line, it is drawn here,” he indicated.
For her part, the Minister of Higher Education, herself of Jewish faith, appealed for calm. “We cannot afford to have bullet holes in schools. I am extremely troubled by this and I am following the situation closely,” said Pascale Déry. She particularly referred to the events that occurred at Concordia University on Wednesday, which left three people injured.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, asked the rectors to “secure university establishments”.
“The shootings at two Jewish schools are simply unacceptable,” he said. “My role is to ensure that the police take the situation seriously. We are talking about the SPVM: they are doing it, they are taking the situation seriously,” he assured.
— With François Carabin