Far Leftist groups and communists took to the streets for the annual Montreal “May Day” anti-capitalism protest disfunction this weekend near Place du Canada. The event turned violent as participants terrorized the streets and neighborhood.
Veronique Comtois, a spokesperson for the Montreal Police Department, said the protest included seven acts of mischief and four armed assaults on police officers.
Manuel Couture, another police spokesperson, said the protest started at Place du Canada and that “within minutes,” protesters began throwing smoke bombs and committing mischief.
Montreal police (SPVM) said that the use of “chemical irritants” became necessary after protestors began throwing rocks.
A video posted to Twitter by a user with the name @joshua_gariepy shows the violent offenders were mostly dressed in all black with their faces covered throwing rocks at windows. It appears they also attacked Joshua Gariepy trying to either take his camera or knock it out of their hands.
The protest was reportedly organized by a group called “The Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles” (CLAC in French).
The organization “aims to disseminate information relating to the abolition of the police and prisons.”
Very little coverage of this event was seen on legacy media.
Montreal Police posted a Twitters English translation:
“Notice to Crowd: Due to multiple offenses committed under a #manifencours , the #SPVM is ordering people to leave the premises immediately.”
An SPVM spokesperson said rocks were thrown through the windows of commercial buildings and at police officers, and property was graffitied.
According to authorities, one guy was arrested for assault with a weapon against a police officer, and investigations have been initiated into a total of 12 illegal acts.
A video posted by a twitter user with the handle @MtlProtest show the group marching with communist flag and not a single Canada flag in sight.
The angry group caused damage in the area smashing business windows and putting graffiti on personal and public property.
The police were dispatched to clear the rioters and deployed tear gas. The violent far left groups then ran from the police and tear gas.
Another group gathered around to burn an American flag. Many of the participants are seen smiling in the video.
However there were demonstrations in Ottawa at a peaceful protest, Ottawa police were armed with batons and other riot gear.
Before the demonstrators arrived on Friday for the “Rolling Thunder” demonstration, police from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police formed a joint force. As of Sunday afternoon in Ottawa, ten arrests had been made.
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson said that residents are “fed up with these kinds of events coming into our city.”
A video posted to social media by a reporter for True North shows downtown Ottawa with a heavy handed large police presence on Saturday afternoon. .
Another event took place in Toronto on Saturday for a ‘Free Palestine’ protest march through the downtown core.
Chants included, “Down with Zionism!” and “Israel is a terror state!”
Demonstrators march through Toronto in a video shared to YouTube.
It has been only one week since the another anti-Israel event took place.
Throughout the rally, there were numerous anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-Israel sentiments and actions.
This included applause for Lebanon’s recent rocket assaults on Israel, which attendees celebrated with shouts of “Allahu Akbar!”, no arrests were made at either event.
Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell had warned that events containing hate would result in prosecution before the Rolling Thunder convoy arrived in Ottawa.
