Local pro-Palestinian group organises protest against NATO in Montreal

Three participants in a protest against NATO in Montreal were arrested after demonstrators clashed with the police.

The rally was held on the evening of November 22, coinciding with the opening of the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The protesters are said to have thrown smoke bombs and other objects at the police, as well as shattered windows in several buildings. One of the organisers of the rally was a local group advocating in support of Palestine.

The protesters have already been condemned by Canada's Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly. "What we witnessed was not a peaceful protest. It was violence, hatred, and anti-Semitism, and there is no place for this on our streets," she said while speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum. 

She also emphasised that the Canadian government believes in freedom of speech. 

At the start of the demonstration, Montreal police announced on X that they had carried out "a dispersal operation" due to "multiple violations during the protest."

According to Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc, two men, aged 22 and 28, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested. 

All three face charges of obstructing a police officer in the performance of their duties, with the woman also charged with assaulting a peace officer. Ms. Dubuc stated that both a civilian and a police officer sustained minor injuries.

By Naila Huseynova