Trudeau seen at Taylor Swift concert amid riots in Montreal
What's the story
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced backlash for attending a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto as violent protests rocked Montreal. The protests were held outside a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) parliamentary assembly meeting and included pro-Palestinian and anti-capitalist groups. Protesters set vehicles ablaze, smashed shop windows, and burned an effigy of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Around the time of the riots, a video of Trudeau dancing and singing at the concert went viral.
Online backlash
Trudeau's concert attendance confirmed, criticized online
Trudeau's office confirmed his attendance at the concert, calling it a family outing. However, this did little to quell the online outrage over his presence at the event amid such a critical time. Conservative Party MP Don Stewart shared videos of both the riots and the concert on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances."
PM's response
Trudeau condemns Montreal violence, calls for accountability
Reacting to the riots, Trudeau condemned the violence in Montreal as "appalling." He wrote on X, "Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them," adding there should be consequences for those involved in the riots. The Montreal police said three people were arrested during these protests. They used chemical irritants and truncheons to disperse a crowd of around 800 protesters.
Twitter Post
Video of Trudeau at concert
Trudeau enjoys the Taylor Swift concert in Toronto
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 23, 2024
pic.twitter.com/ycZVkh7k7S
Protest
Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with pro-Israel counter-demonstrators
The protest came as some 300 delegates from NATO member states and partner countries arrived in Montreal for a high-level meeting on Ukraine, climate change, and the alliance's future, which will take place from November 22 to 25. It was the second day of student-led pro-Palestinian protests around Montreal. On Thursday, pro-Palestinian protesters at Concordia University flooded the Hall Building and clashed with pro-Israel counter-demonstrators outside.