Protests at Westmount Square: message from the Mayor

The crisis in the Middle East has led to a rise in tensions around the world including in our own community. Let’s hope that the recently announced cease-fire endures and that, through diplomacy, the region can soon benefit from peace and stability.

Many residents have contacted my colleagues and I to express their concerns about demonstrations in front of Westmount Square. As a result, I thought that it would be helpful to share our perspective with you.

The right to protest is a fundamental right in a democracy like ours and it is guaranteed in both the Canadian and Quebec Charters of Human Rights and Freedoms. As was the case during the 2012 student protests, our society has demonstrated that it allows our citizens to express their opinions in this way. But this right to demonstrate must be exercised safely.

It is the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), and not the City of Westmount, that is responsible for granting permits for demonstrations, supervising them and ensuring that they take place in a legal and controlled manner. Aware that the demonstrations, which have been frequent over the last eleven days, have been troubling for nearby residents – many felt unsafe – I had asked that the SPVM in writing to take these concerns into account when issuing permits.

As I indicated above, our fervent wish is that the cease-fire will lead to a de-escalation of the tensions in the Middle East as well as in our own community. In the interim, we are on the record in urging the SPVM to take the concerns of our residents into account when issuing permits to demonstrate in the future. There is no place in our city for the antisemitism and rise in racist acts that we have witnessed.

Christina M. Smith
Mayor of Westmount