Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press In relation to the demonstrations “to celebrate or supposedly justify the assassination of civilians,” Prime Minister François Legault said it was “shameful” and “unacceptable.”
After the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, it is the turn of the Prime Minister of Quebec to denounce the Hamas attacks in Israel.
At a press conference in Montreal on Tuesday, François Legault deplored the death of a 33-year-old Quebecer, Alexandre Look, who was participating in a music festival in the south of the country when a shooting broke out. “There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can justify Hamas terrorists attacking civilians. These are horrible actions,” declared Prime Minister Legault.
He added that the Quebec nation was wholeheartedly with the Jewish population “in Montreal, over there in Israel and all over the world ”.
Regarding the pro-Palestine demonstration “to celebrate or supposedly justify the killing of civilians,” Mr. Legault said it was “shameful” and “unacceptable.” “I am really very disappointed to see these people who allow themselves to take actions like that in such tragic, sad times. »
Saturday afternoon, a few hundred demonstrators gathered at Dorchester Square in Montreal to show their support for Palestine. The event was strongly criticized, notably by the federal Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller.
The fleur-de-lis has been lowered to half-mast on the central tower of parliament, Mr. Legault and the President of the National Assembly, Nathalie Roy, announced on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the office of the Minister of International Relations, Martine Biron, indicated that the opening of the Quebec office in Tel Aviv, scheduled for next week, has been postponed due to the conflict. Its general director will work from Quebec, said the minister's press secretary, Catherine Boucher. Israel has more than 500,000 French speakers. The office in Tel Aviv must in particular strengthen government and institutional relations in the areas of research and innovation.
In Montreal, Mayor Valérie Plante also commented on the pro-Palestinian demonstrations which took place taken place in the metropolis. “If there are people demonstrating, justifying or excusing the terrorist attack that Hamas carried out, that is unacceptable. It has no place. We should be supportive, understanding and humane. There are plenty of Israeli families who have lost someone. We have a Montreal family who lost a member of their family there,” she recalled Tuesday.
She clarified that the police have the power to intervene when hateful messages are sent. spread, but that among the demonstrators there could be people who are marching because they are worried about their loved ones in Palestine, not necessarily because they support Hamas, she said.
With Jeanne Corriveau