MONTREAL — In early June, Projet Montréal filed a motion calling on the city to suspend institutional ties with Israel and refer to it as an “apartheid state” and a committer of “genocide.” On Monday night, sanity prevailed. The motion passed, but as a watered-down version with those features removed. Pro-Palestinian protesters outside were less than pleased and directed their aggression at those leaving the building, myself included.
Before the vote, the pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Montreal city hall chanting phrases such as, “ Viva, viva, intifada. Long live the intifada ,” Israel are terrorists, Soroya (the mayor) is complicit ” and “ Israel are terrorists, Montreal is complicit .”
“……Viva, viva Intifada. Long live the intifada…..” pic.twitter.com/VTYFpxznts
— Terry Newman (@terrynewman) August 24, 2026
Also present outside city hall before the council meeting began at 1 p.m. were members of Independent Jewish Voices , a small group that only concerns itself with the Palestinian cause, along with some communists waving flags that read , “From the river to the sea,” and “We are all Palestinians.”
And: “We are all Palestine.” pic.twitter.com/rX6P9Gsom8
— Terry Newman (@terrynewman) August 24, 2026
Members of the public flooded into the chamber outside the council meeting. Among them were friends of Alex Look, a 33-year-old Montrealer who was murdered by Hamas on October 7. They wore stickers with Look’s face as a reminder of the brutal, Hamas-apologist ideology masquerading as a human rights movement at the city’s gates.
Last night, friends of Alex Look, a Montreal man who was murdered by Hamas on October 7, were at city hall wearing stickers on their clothing as a reminder of the brutal, Hamas apologist ideology outside. pic.twitter.com/1WibPBXUjS
— Terry Newman (@terrynewman) August 25, 2026
At 7 p.m., members of the public were invited to ask questions. Adrian Leroux, a pro-Palestinian activist, called for the city to “immediately suspend ties with the rogue state of Israel,” which he referred to as an “apartheid regime.” At one point, he said that Israel “endangers Jewish communities in Canada by live-streaming a genocide in their name.” He then asked Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada if she saw that it had become “politically impossible” for her to not pass the motion .
Montreal city council has a rule allowing the chair to limit the number of questions that can be asked about the same issue to three, and at times on Monday evening, the chair of the council meeting, Ensemble Montréal’s Chantal Rossi, interpreted broad issues relating to the protesters outside as being part of the motion, so the speakers were cut off and unable to ask their questions.
For example, Alyssa Yuffe wanted to bring up that the group Montreal Apartheid was using the Montreal logo, which is the city’s intellectual property.
At one point, Ayrik Armani, an Iranian, told the council that he had been a political prisoner in Iran, and had witnessed firsthand how “extremism, intolerance and division can gradually undermine the society,” and that he now sees “troubling patterns emerging here in Montreal.” Armani told the council that he repeatedly sees individuals at demonstrations who support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he pointed out is a listed terrorist entity in Canada.
Armani told the council that some of these same groups are now advocating for Montreal to cut ties with Israel, and that Iranians are “deeply concerned that this rhetoric and political pressure could further undermine Montreal’s security, social cohesion and the sense of safety for its residents.” Armani asked why the city isn’t doing more about individuals who are demonstrating in support of the regime. At this point, Armani was cut off and told that this question was about the motion.
Arlene Yuffe wanted to discuss what she referred to as “Quebec historical and cultural patrimony.” She told the council that, “Individuals from Montreal4Palestine climbed scaffolding and took a photo in front of Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, a major church, and they threw smoke bombs.” She was told that her question would not be answered.
Yet Yuffe was absolutely correct. Montreal4Palestine did this, and proudly posted evidence of it on its Instagram page. But she was cut off, as if her concerns about this group were part of the motion being debated that evening. Montreal 4Palestine is the same group that has held mass Muslim prayers in front of Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, which many felt were acts of intimidation.
Shortly before 10 p.m., the council voted on the amended version of the motion, which passed 54-6. The pro-Palestinian protesters outside were not pleased. Upon exiting the building, myself and others, including council members, were subjected to harassment, despite the large police presence.
Leaving courtroom. When they show you who they are, believe them pic.twitter.com/t5BoY3xudh
— Terry Newman (@terrynewman) August 25, 2026
The first thing I heard upon exiting city hall was the chant, “End the Zionist occupation.” Then, a stream of protesters, some wearing keffiyehs — the same garment Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the terrorist murderer of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, wore , a fact most Canadians appear to have memory-holed — started screaming the phrase, “Shame on you!”
One pushed my camera, which I was holding up in front of me for my protection, with her hand. Another, holding a flag, yelled at me several times, “Did you get your paycheque?” Walking away, we heard them shouting, “You can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” They were still there, yelling , 20 minutes later when I was being driven home.
They are still there yelling pic.twitter.com/khTIFxHYAs
— Terry Newman (@terrynewman) August 25, 2026
It has become fashionable for activist groups and political parties to try to pressure local municipal councils to pass motions and create policies on matters outside of their jurisdiction, like international affairs. Montreal is no stranger to this.
In 1987, then-mayor Jean Doré declared Montreal “apartheid-free,” and was able to get legislative powers allowing the city to discriminate against companies that had investments in South Africa when it practised apartheid.
Apartheid South Africa and Israel are clearly different, but beyond that, the issues of foreign countries should not be the business of far-off city councils, precisely because they do not generally understand the details and nuances.
If the original motion had passed, pressuring the city to cut ties with Israel despite the fact that Israel is not an apartheid state and has not been found guilty of genocide, who knows how this would have manifested in terms of policies and harassment towards Jewish businesses connected to Israel.
Thankfully, the city council of Montreal overwhelmingly chose to vote for the peace and cohesion of its communities instead of a motion designed to misinform and drive a wedge between the city’s Jewish community and everyone else, which would, no doubt, be used to intimidate and harass them.
National Post
X: @terrynewman
