Montreal authorities are currently probing an assault on a 32-year-old Jewish man who was attacked in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension neighborhood on Friday while accompanied by his young children. The incident, which occurred at the intersection of l’Épée and Beaumont avenues around 2:45 p.m., prompted a 911 call reporting a disturbance.
The attack, partially captured in a circulating 28-second online video, shows the assailant repeatedly striking the victim, who is on the ground. The victim, dressed in traditional Jewish attire, is seen rising to his knees with one of his children holding onto him while the attacker picks up items from a grocery bag and discards a kippa, a Jewish head covering, in a nearby splash pad.
Following the assault, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries from multiple strikes before the assailant fled the scene. Law enforcement is yet to apprehend the perpetrator, and the motive behind the attack remains unknown, according to Constable Caroline Chèvrefils.
Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced the violence as “appalling” in a social media statement, emphasizing the right of all Canadians to safety. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also condemned the incident on social media, labeling it as “violent and unacceptable.”
Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi expressed distress over the assault, terming it as a violation of basic human decency. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs echoed similar sentiments, urging authorities to hold the assailant accountable and calling for decisive action from government leaders at all levels.