Montreal demonstrators clash with police, set off smoke bombs in destructive protest
A group of anti-NATO, pro-Palestinian demonstrators wreaked havoc on the streets of Montreal on Friday night, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto. (Credit: Reuters)
Video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dancing at a Taylor Swift concert amid a destructive protest in Montreal drew outrage over the weekend.
Trudeau, who represents a district in Montreal, had attended the Taylor Swift concert in Toronto on Friday night. A viral video posted on X shows the Canadian politician dancing and singing along to the song "You Don't Own Me" before Swift took the stage.
Toronto is roughly 280 miles west of the Canadian capital of Ottawa and 330 miles west of the Montreal district that Trudeau represents.
During the same night, anti-NATO demonstrators set off smoke bombs and marched through the streets of Montreal with Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, the rioters set cars on fire and clashed with police.
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Protesters also threw small explosive devices and metal items at officers. At one point, the group burned an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The image of Trudeau dancing amid protests in his hometown sparked outrage online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to Nero, the infamous Roman emperor known for "fiddling while Rome burned."
Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.
Video of Justin Trudeau dancing at a Taylor Swift concert amid a destructive protest in his city sparked criticism over the weekend. (Getty Images / Reuters)
"Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances," Stewart wrote. "This is the Canada built by the Liberal government."
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"Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved," the MP added.
On Saturday, Trudeau denounced the protests and called them "appalling."
Protesters set off smoke bombs at the Montreal anti-NATO demonstration. (Reuters)
"What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling," the Canadian leader said. "Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them."
"The RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] are in communication with local police. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable."
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Demonstrators reportedly hurled metal objects at police and set vehicles on fire. (Reuters)
Fox News Digital has reached out to Trudeau's office for comment.
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