Oct. 7 in Montreal: Pro-Israel vigil begins as pro-Palestinian students prepare walkout

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Updated throughout the day on Monday, Oct. 7. The Gazette has a team of reporters and photographers covering today’s events. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Latest updates

• Student walkout set to start at 2 p.m.
• Pro-Israel Montrealers gather near McGill
• Jewish students at McGill and Concordia say it has been a tough year
• Trudeau condemns Hamas, Quebec calls for ceasefire
• Security tight at McGill as protesters gather
• Montreal on edge as world marks Oct. 7 anniversary
• Local Jewish community has planned two events
• Pro-Palestinian groups plan several events, including student walkout
• For local Palestinians, ‘nothing makes sense anymore’
• For Jewish Montrealers, the ‘horror of that day is still very fresh’
• Montreal police tighten security at religious sites, universities
• Judge grants order against pro-Palestinian groups at Concordia
• Montreal has seen hundreds of Israel-Hamas war protests

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12:50 p.m.

Student walkout set to start at 2 p.m.

From Leora Schertzer:

At Concordia, nearly a dozen security guards were seen patrolling the Hall Building lobby early this afternoon.

The entrance to a tunnel linking the Hall building to other buildings is blocked. Concordia security would not comment on the measures taken to prepare for today’s protests.

At about 12:50 p.m., five police officers entered the Hall building. Earlier, an officer told The Gazette they would not go inside today.

A pro-Palestine student walkout is set to begin at 2 p.m. at Concordia and some Montreal CEGEPs.

12:40 p.m.

Pro-Israel Montrealers gather near McGill

Pro-Israel Montrealers have joined a commemorative event near McGill, a half block away from a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Speakers are taking to a stage to share their experiences on Oct. 7, 2023.

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12:30 p.m.

Jewish students at McGill and Concordia say it has been a tough year

From Harry North:

Waving Israeli flags, students and members of the Jewish community have begun to congregate on Sherbrooke St. near McGill. They’re in front of a stage and large screen showing pictures of people Hamas killed on Oct. 7.

Nate Manis, a 20-year-old Jewish student at McGill and a fellow at the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, is taking part in the vigil.

He told The Gazette that the past year has been difficult for Jewish students on campus in the aftermath of Oct. 7.

“I’m very ‘pro-peaceful protest and demonstration’ — it’s important to speak your mind,” he said.

“But it’s been a tough year. What we’ve seen on campus goes beyond protest. It’s intimidation and harassment of Jewish or pro-Israel students. The tactics are designed to bully and isolate us. It’s no longer a safe space for discussion and freedom of thought.”

Manis, who has family in Israel, said the events of the past year deepened his connection to his heritage.

“I’m not very religious, but what’s happened in Israel has made me understand why maintaining the culture is so important.”

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McGill and Concordia have been focal points for protests related to the conflict, with tensions often flaring. Montreal police reported over 300 protests across the city in the past year.

Manis joins Monday’s vigil with his friend Aaron Rosenbaum, a 24-year-old Jewish student at Concordia and also a fellow at the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee.

For Rosenbaum, the past year has been marked by a surge in antisemitism.

“We’ve seen the most explosive, disgusting amount of antisemitism since my grandfather was in Nazi Germany,” he said.

Rosenbaum, who has close friends in Israel, said he has lost friendships because of the war and his identity.

“I can’t even mention that my dad was Israeli without someone labelling him a colonizer or murderer. It’s disheartening. It’s part of who I am, and now it feels like I can’t be open about that anymore.”

Despite the challenges, Manis remains cautiously optimistic for the coming year.“Universities are becoming more vigilant,” he said.

Rosenbaum stressed the need for more dialogue.

“Universities should be places for ideas, not echo chambers,” he said. “If we don’t go back to that, this hostility is just going to continue.”

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12:15 p.m.

Expect Oct. 7 events to disrupt traffic, police say

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11:20 a.m.

Trudeau condemns Hamas, Quebec calls for ceasefire

From The Canadian Press:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked the grim anniversary in a statement, saying his thoughts are with all Israelis and Jewish people, and with the Jewish community in Canada.

Trudeau condemned Hamas and said his government remains committed to working towards a two-state solution, “where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognized borders.”

“Hamas has set the region down a path of war and violence. We mourn the Canadians and all civilians killed in the year that followed. We condemn Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, whose senseless attacks lead to more death and instability.

“The scale of civilian casualties since Oct. 7 is heartbreaking and unacceptable, and all actors must comply with international law. The suffering must end, and we must return to the path toward lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, and others across the region.”

Martine Biron, Quebec’s minister of international relations, also posted a statement.

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“On this day of remembrance, let us pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks that occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, as well as those of the war between Israel and Hamas,” she wrote.

Biron also reiterated Quebec’s call for a ceasefire and “the respect of international law regarding the treatment of civilians.”

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11:05 a.m.

Security tight at McGill as protesters gather

The Gazette will have full coverage today as Montreal marks Oct. 7, with several reporters and photographers in the field.

From colleagues Leora Schertzer and Harry North:

More than 100 police officers are patrolling McGill’s downtown campus.

The perimeter of the university is lined with police cars and buses along Sherbrooke, University and McTavish Sts.

Besides McGill’s entrance on McTavish and Sherbrooke, every entry point to campus is closed by wire fences, including the main entrance at Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke.

Students must show I.D. to get on the McGill campus and again before they are allowed into university buildings, where security guards are stationed.

At 8:45 a.m., only a few dozen students were on campus, which is being patrolled by police on horseback and officers in riot gear.

“It just feels very over the top,” said student Patrick Brennan, who had to detour to get to his sociology class.

“We all have exams right now, and I have one. That’s the only reason I’m on campus,” he said.

“It’s not a great feeling for the nerves,” referring to the heightened police presence at McGill.

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Earlier, a handful of people stood with a Palestinian flag on the west side of Roddick Gates. There did not appear to be any pro-Israel students in front of McGill at that time.

One member of McGill Law Students for Palestine, who wished to stay anonymous for this report, said the police presence on campus felt “intimidating, and just deeply unnecessary.”

“I don’t know who’s creating intimidation, harassment and danger other than McGill at the moment.”

About half a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters have positioned themselves outside McGill’s Roddick Gates, where an Israeli student vigil to mourn those killed in the Oct. 7 attack is set to begin at 12:30 p.m.

An individual with the group, who did not provide their name, said the first members of their group arrived around 3:30 a.m. to “own the space.”

They insisted the group would not move.

Two Montreal police officers said that the vigil will occupy one side of the McGill Roddick Gates, with the pro-Palestinian group on the opposite side. Police will be stationed between the two groups.

A larger pro-Palestinian student rally is expected to arrive after 2 p.m.

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More than 500 Montreal police officers are on downtown streets today, an officer told The Gazette.

At Concordia, about 30 police officers are stationed outside the Hall Building, he said.

No uniformed officers were visible in the Hall Building or the J.W. McConnell Building when The Gazette visited.

Concordia does not have the same security measures as McGill. Buildings on the university’s downtown campus remain open to the public.

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10 a.m.

Montreal on edge as world marks Oct. 7 anniversary

Montrealers on opposite sides of the Middle Eastern conflict are organizing events on Monday to mark the anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the beginning of Israel’s retaliation.

Amid heightened tensions, Montreal police have increased patrols around Jewish and Muslim community locations as well as universities.

McGill and Concordia universities — protest focal points over the past year — have tightened campus security, with some classes moved online. Some pro-Palestinian groups are urging CEGEP and university students to walk out and march to McGill on Monday afternoon.

Downtown traffic may be snarled, with McGill warning that police plan to “close or restrict access” to Sherbrooke St. in front of the university as of 8 a.m.

10 a.m.

Montreal Jewish community has planned two events

Montreal’s Jewish community will gather at two events organized by the Federation CJA, a local philanthropic organization, with assistance from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

The first event — a “student unity vigil” — is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at McGill’s Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke St.

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Participants are expected to join in song, prayer and reflection.

The community is coming together “to mourn, honour and remember the victims of the attacks, as well as to pray for the return of the hostages and a peaceful resolution to the war,” Federation CJA said.

Later, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., a larger event will be held in Hampstead Park.

This gathering will feature a moment of silence, prayers and addresses from dignitaries, including Israel’s consul general, Paul Hirshson.

While the evening event is open to the public, pre-registration is required via Jlive.app.

10 a.m.

Pro-Palestinian groups plan several events, including student walkout

Pro-Palestinian groups in Montreal are organizing a student strike and at least two events.

The Concordia and McGill chapters of Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance are calling on CEGEP and university students to walk out of classes at 2 p.m.

“McGill and Concordia can try to shut down campus, but a police state at our universities will never silence the student movement,” the groups said in a social media post.

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They vowed to “flood campuses in response to a year of genocide. After a year, we commemorate the historic breach of the colonial border and a year of Palestine’s heroic resistance.”

Another event is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Place des Arts.

Via social media, a group called Montreal4Palestine says supporters will “take over the streets of Montreal in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine. The days of silent suffering are over. The resistance has risen and we rise with them.”

10 a.m.

For local Palestinians, ‘nothing makes sense anymore’

Ayman Oweida still remembers the prolonged state of shock he felt when Israel’s military response to the attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas began to stretch on last year.

For Oweida, a Palestinian living in Sherbrooke, the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war was marked by frantic attempts to reach family in Gaza and hopes that a ceasefire could offer a reprieve.

But as time went on, he instead watched in despair as the bombing he first thought could last a few weeks continued for months and, now, an entire year as Israel retaliated for the estimated 1,200 killed and 250 hostages taken in that initial attack.

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Read our full report by Jesse Feith.

10 a.m.

For Jewish Montrealers, the ‘horror of that day is still very fresh’

For many in Montreal’s Jewish community, the horror of the Israel-Hamas war has been compounded by the fact most never got the chance to fully grieve the massacre that sparked it.

“October 7th, for most of us, was the greatest tragedy in our lived Jewish experience,” said Rabbi Lisa Grushcow of the Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Westmount.

An estimated 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and 250 hostages seized when Hamas terrorists invaded. Hundreds were killed at kibbutz communities, small villages and at a music festival.

“Most of us have ties to Israel in some way, be it family or friends or other connections,” Grushcow said. “So the absolute tragedy and trauma and horror of that day is still very fresh in people’s minds.”

Read our full report by René Bruemmer.

10 a.m.

How Montreal universities prepared for Oct. 7 anniversary

Montreal’s universities are bracing for potential disruptions on Monday, marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, with both McGill and Concordia universities beefing up security measures in anticipation of protests.

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Read our full report by Harry North.

10 a.m.

Montreal police tighten security at religious sites, universities

On Friday, Montreal police said they are stepping up their presence throughout the city, particularly close to Jewish and Arab-Muslim institutions.

“We want the public to know we are aware of their concerns and taking them seriously,” said assistant director Vincent Richer, head of the organizational services division.

For members of the public who are especially fearful as the anniversary nears, Richer said: “We want to tell them to continue to live their lives. We want to tell them that for Montreal police, it’s a priority to be on the ground to help them feel safe.”

Read our full report by René Bruemmer.

10 a.m.

Judge grants order against pro-Palestinian groups at Concordia

A Quebec judge last week issued an order barring certain pro-Palestinian groups and activists from blocking access to Concordia University or attempting to disrupt any classes.

It also grants two Jewish students a protective order against two people they argue have intimidated them.

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Read our full report by Jesse Feith.

10 a.m.

Montreal has seen hundreds of Israel-Hamas war protests

Monday marks one year since Hamas, which governs Gaza, attacked Israel. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and hundreds were taken captive.

Since Israel declared war on Hamas, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health authority. Just over half of the dead were women and children, according to the Associated Press.

In recent days, Israel has targeted regions of Lebanon controlled by the Hezbollah militant group with airstrikes and ground incursions.

Canada has designated both Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations.

Montreal police say the city has seen more than 300 protests about the war over the past year, most of them peaceful. However, about 100 arrests have been made.

And antisemitism and Islamophobia have flared. Montreal police have recorded 288 possible hate crimes, with 41 arrests.

Firebombs, gunfire and vandalism have targeted some Jewish schools and synagogues in Montreal. Threatening emails were sent to Jewish institutions, including synagogues. On Wednesday, five people were arrested with incendiary material near a synagogue in Côte-St-Luc.

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Last year, a mosque in St-Léonard was spray-painted with a swastika and the message “Kill all Musulman bastard” (sic). Muslim women reported verbal harassment near mosques.

Montreal police say they will increase their presence on the streets Monday, with additional officers on duty, including some in plain clothes. Surveillance is to be stepped up around Jewish and Arab/Muslim institutions as well as universities.

“We want the public to know we are aware of their concerns and taking them seriously,” said assistant police director Vincent Richer.

McGill has been rocked by turmoil since the Israel-Hamas war erupted. Pro-Palestinian protesters occupied part of the downtown campus for 75 days until it was dismantled on July 10.

Riot police were called to some pro-Palestinian protests at McGill after windows were smashed and an administration building was occupied.

Last week, a judge issued a temporary order barring certain pro-Palestinian groups and activists from blocking access to Concordia or attempting to disrupt any classes.

In late September, there was vandalism and several people were arrested near Concordia amid pro-Palestinian protests.

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In one case, protesters smashed windows and launched Molotov cocktails at police; in another slogans were spray-painted and objects were thrown at police.

ariga@postmedia.com

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