Trudeau condemns violence amidst Israel-Gaza conflict, says against Canadian values
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned the recent acts of violence, including the firing of shots at two Jewish schools in Montreal and a violent clash between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students at Concordia University.
Montreal, a city already grappling with a rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes, is now faced with the aftermath of overnight shootings at two Jewish schools in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood.
Bullet holes were discovered in the front doors of the schools, prompting a police investigation. The disturbing incident follows the discovery of Molotov cocktails outside a synagogue and Jewish community centre earlier in the week.
The Israel-Gaza conflict has deeply divided the Canadian population, with a growing number of residents urging a ceasefire in a conflict that has claimed over 11,000 lives. Trudeau acknowledged the heightened emotions but emphasized that attacking each other is not reflective of Canadian values.
Concordia University, like other educational institutions, has become a battleground for conflicting ideologies. A violent altercation between individuals aligned with opposing sides of the conflict resulted in injuries and an arrest.
University administrators expressed concern over the rising acts of intimidation and intolerant behaviour that have left students in fear.
The disturbing trend extends beyond Montreal, with Toronto, home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Canada, experiencing a "very significant rise" in hate crimes, according to the city's police chief. Reports of hate crimes more than doubled in October compared to the same period last year.
In Surrey, British Columbia, a man targeted a rabbi's house, throwing eggs and drawing a swastika. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, an act of vandalism involved smearing faeces on the doors of a mosque.