Police on Friday cleared protesters from a pro-Palestinian Arab encampment that was set up last month at Square Victoria in downtown Montreal, CTV News reported. During the police operation, which began around 4:00 a.m., an 18-year-old man was arrested, according to the report. Police said the man had allegedly pointed a laser into the eyes of police officers a few days ago, with at least one officer temporarily injured. During a press conference later in the day, Mayor Valérie Plante said the decision to dismantle the camp was not taken lightly. "But a demonstration cannot permanently occupy a public site. You can't occupy a public site no matter what the cause. Public space must remain public," Plante said. "The encampment did not allow free circulation and free access to the population, to the blue-collar workers, firefighters and police officers who are there to ensure the safety of everyone within the camp, outside and around," she stated. Additionally, Plante said the encampment violated municipal bylaws, which prompted the decision to dismantle the encampment "peacefully." The pro-Palestinian Arab encampment was set up at the square late last month. Demonstrators are demanding that the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) "immediately divest its $14.2 billion in investments in 87 companies complicit in the Israeli occupation." The group is also calling for Quebec's Tel Aviv office to be shut down because, they argue, "increasing trade relations and diplomatic cooperation with Israel legitimizes the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people." Meanwhile, according to CTV News , a pro-Palestinian Arab encampment which was set up at McGill University in the Montreal remains in place. Deep Saini, the president of McGill University, said on Friday the police intervention in Victoria Square was an "encouraging sign" that the city and Montreal police are taking a serious approach to the encampments. "I have every expectation that the City and SPVM will remain consistent in their approach and act swiftly to remove the encampment here as well," he said in a statement. Canada has seen an increase in incidents of antisemitism, particularly in Montreal and Toronto, since the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7. In Montreal, a firebomb was thrown against the door of a Jewish community center in late November. At the beginning of that month, Congregation Beth Tikvah in Dollard-Des Ormeaux was hit by firebombs . Several days later, two Jewish schools in the city were hit with gunshots . Another Jewish school was riddled with bullets three days after that. This past weekend, a Jewish cemetery in Montreal was vandalized , with the vandals arranging stones over the graves into the shape of a swastika. Related articles: Montreal synagogue defaced with swastika on Shabbat Jewish student leaves Montreal university after death threats Herzog speaks to Trudeau after firebombing of Montreal synagogue Canadian politicians condemn Montreal synagogue firebombing On Wednesday, a poster that appeared on a Montreal lamppost asked Jewish lawmaker Anthony Housefather to “get out of Canada”. Images of the poster online showed it displaying the Israeli flag next to the flag of Nazi Germany, calling Housefather a “neo-Nazi” and describing Zionism as “terrorism.” (Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
