Montreal police, some in riot gear, removed several Jewish students from an area of McGill University’s campus on October 7 as pro-Palestine activists demonstrated nearby, marking the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel.
The October 7, 2023 incursion killed about 1,200 people in Israel—mostly civilians—and led to more than 250 hostages being taken, sparking the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, which as killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Commentator Salman Sima criticized what he called “two-tier policing” in the police response. In a statement posted online, Sima alleged “blatant antisemitism” by officers, claiming that a police officer told Jewish students commemorating the attack that their “presence was upsetting” demonstrators and warned them to leave.
Video circulating on social media shows an officer telling students, “Right now, you’re causing a conflict by your presence, and they’re not leaving because of your presence.”
Sima said that while police were dispersing the Jewish group, pro-Palestinian demonstrators were lighting fireworks and releasing smoke devices on campus. He compared the situation to “a dangerous double standard,” adding, “This is not Nazi Germany in 1933; this is Canada in 2025.”
McGill University has been the scene of recurring protests since the Israel–Hamas war began, with some demonstrations causing property damage and prompting police intervention.
Multiple student organizations and advocacy groups have reported a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents on campus over the past year, while pro-Palestinian students say they face "intimidation and mischaracterization" for expressing political views.