Anti-NATO ‘Protests’ in Montreal: Confusion, Cowardice and Indecency
On Friday night (Nov. 22), the city of Montreal saw domestic mayhem, with rioters causing great damage to both private and public property - 3 arrests have been made thus far.
So why the commotion in Canada’s second most populous city? For anyone paying attention this past year, you may have an inkling as to why. The reason being: the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The belligerent destruction, chaos and antisemitic displays inflicted onto downtown Montreal seemed in pattern with other displays this year - it was only a few weeks ago that Amsterdam was brought to its knees after “anti-Semitic hit and run squads” paraded throughout the Dutch capital.
But what was different about this act of ‘civil disobedience’ seemed to be that no one participating read up on the purpose of the event taking place in the city - in other words, the very thing that was being protested.
The event: The 70th Annual Session for NATO taking place this weekend in Montreal. Close to 300 NATO member delegates have made the trip into the chilly Canadian city to discuss several topics, mostly focusing on the ongoing war in Eastern Europe.
The weekend’s schedule outlines specifically the focus being:
Support for sustaining Allies’ steadfast support to Ukraine
supporting NATO’s ongoing transformation after the Washington Summit, firmly anchored in NATO’s shared democratic values, fully implemented and sustainably resourced
shaping the future of NATO’s and the Assembly’s partnerships
addressing climate change related and technological challenges
Just as a refresher, let’s remember the greater purpose of NATO:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established on April 4, 1949, as a collective defense alliance to counter Soviet expansion during the Cold War. Twelve founding members, including the U.S., Canada, and European nations, pledged mutual defense under Article 5 of its charter.
NATO expanded its membership and scope after the Cold War, incorporating former Eastern Bloc countries and focusing on global security challenges, such as terrorism and cyber defense.
Today, NATO remains a cornerstone of transatlantic security, adapting to emerging threats while fostering cooperation among its 31 member states.
But let us also remember that there is one important country that is absent from NATO membership: Israel.
So why protest the conflict in the Middle East outside an international summit that’s focus is on the war in Eastern Europe? Did the aggravated ‘protesters’ just forget to do their homework?
A representative for the Divest for Palestine Collective - one of the groups that organized Friday nights unrest - shared that the purpose of the organization’s ‘demonstrations’ were to protest the "complicity with Israel's military while it's conducting its genocide in Gaza, ... war crimes in Lebanon, Syria.”
Seems a bit of stretch.
One would surmise that the revolutionary minded young agitators from Friday night, would probably welcome the action items of the summit and side with Ukraine in its David and Goliath quest for militaristic victory.
Even Prime Minister Trudeau - not one to veer from the mandate of far left protesters - weighed in on social media, condemning the situation in its entirety:
“What we saw on the streets of Montreal…was appalling. Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them.”
These protests also come days after Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, and a former defense minister. An issue the Prime Minister tiptoed around when asked if Canada would comply with the arrest warrant of either Israeli government official, stating:
"First of all, as Canada has always said, it's really important that everyone abide by international law. This is something we've been calling on from the beginning of the conflict."
Tensions rose on Friday night in Montreal as demonstrators set fire to an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the crowd.
So, what happens now?
What do we gain from the collective temper tantrum on the streets of Montreal?
From a leadership perspective we continue to see spineless confusion from the top - Justin Trudeau’s strange persistence in trying to please everyone simultaneously while (of course) instead doing just the opposite. This perplexing strategy fortifies his image to the Canadian public and the international community as being inconstant, weak and incompetent.
It did not take Conservative leader Pierre Polievre to capitalize on his advisory’s weakness, posting on X:
“You act surprised. We are reaping what you sowed. This is what happens when a Prime Minister spends 9 years pushing toxic woke identity politics, dividing and subdividing people by race, gender, vaccine status, religion, region, age, wealth, etc. On top of driving people apart, you systematically break what used to bring us together, saying Canada is a ‘post-national state’ with ‘no core identity.’”
In analyzing the acts of the ‘protesters’ - one may garner an even more hopeless outlook. A group of young Canadians, so ideologically bound to their ideals and focus towards power - Palestine is weak; therefore its virtuous. Israel is strong; therefore it's evil.
Of course the collateral damage to Palestinian civilians has been horrific - and there is virtue in having concern towards the thousands of Palestinians killed in the war started by its malevolent de facto government.
Let’s also not forget that protests took place all across Canada (and the world) on October 8th, 2023 - one day after the atrocities and barbarity that unfolded against innocent Israeli civilians at the hands of Hamas terrorists. At that time, of course the military occupation of Gaza had yet to begin. The timing of such immediate ‘protests’ conducted after the slaughter of over 1,200 innocent civilians in Israel, seemed almost unthinkably cruel.
Let’s also not forget these protesters (from October 8th, 2023 up until now) are in support of the side that’s still holding over one hundred hostages somewhere inside Gaza.
It’s time for greater bravery in the country at all levels. In Canada, we’re all blessed with the monumental privilege to protest freely, even if such a protest is for the wrong side.
However, what one should never be free from is the just criticism for reprehensible values that are antithetical to everything Canada stands for.