Three protesters were arrested after a demonstration turned violent in downtown Montreal on Friday, with protesters smashing windows and setting cars on fire during a rally that combined opposition to a NATO parliamentary summit with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the Montreal Gazette reports.
The unrest coincided with the arrival of roughly 300 NATO delegates in Montreal for a high-level summit focused on Ukraine, climate change, and the alliance's future, running from Nov. 22-25. The protest also aligned with the second day of widespread student pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the city, according to the Montreal Gazette.
Trudeau is dancing at the Taylor Swift concert while Montreal burns
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According to Manuel Couture, a spokesperson for the Montreal police who spoke to the Montreal Gazette, the demonstration began at a downtown park at 4:30 p.m. before marching toward the city's entertainment district. By 5:30 p.m., a second group had assembled at a major cultural center, where the two demonstrations merged.
Tensions escalated as the march progressed through downtown Montreal. At 6:10 p.m., demonstrators burned an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The situation further deteriorated as protesters threw objects at police officers, including small explosive devices and metal items. By 6:40 p.m., the demonstration had turned destructive, with protesters breaking shop windows in the downtown area and setting two vehicles on fire.
Police responded by deploying chemical irritants and implementing crowd control measures to restore order, Couture told the Montreal Gazette. Three protesters were arrested on charges of allegedly assaulting police officers and interfering with police work. The crowd dispersed by 7 p.m.
