A 39-year-old man is facing hate-related charges in connection with two recent incidents outside Hampstead town hall, in which the Israeli and Hampstead flags were set ablaze.
Montreal police arrested Frédéric Biron Carmel in the city’s Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough on Tuesday.
He is facing several charges, including mischief relating to property motivated by bias, prejudice or hate, public incitement of hatred, arson and possession of incendiary material.
Biron Carmel remains in custody and is expected to appear at the Montreal courthouse later in the day on Wednesday.
Police say the first incident happened on Aug. 22, and the second a few days later on Aug. 25. There was no damage to the building and no one was injured.
A search carried out in a home allowed investigators with the arson squad to “seize various pieces of evidence,” a Wednesday police news release reads. The investigation was carried out with support from the force’s hate crimes unit.
In an email to CBC, Sarah-Eve Longtin, a spokesperson for Hampstead, an on-island Montreal suburb, said the town had increased security measures following the arson attacks, but wouldn’t specify what measures were being implemented, citing safety and operational concerns.
“I can confirm that, on both occasions, the Israeli and Hampstead flags in front of town hall were the only items that were burned or damaged,” Longtin said.
Controversy over Hampstead’s Israeli flag
In a post on X, Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi commended Montreal police for “their professionalism and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our community.”
While the Israeli flag has been flying outside town hall for almost two years, it made headlines recently after some Hampstead residents expressed unease over the situation and requested the flag be taken down.
Among them was 25-year-old Adam Ben David, who shared his concerns in a letter he published to social media and sent to Levi.
In the letter, Ben David wrote raising the flag “removes each Hampstead citizen’s ability to express their personal stance on Israel.”
Ben David also said the flag doesn’t represent everyone in the community.
The latest census data shows that 63 per cent of the population of Hampstead is Jewish, but that still leaves close to 40 per cent who are not.
WATCH | Residents had voiced concerns over flag before burning incidents: 
Israeli flag in front of Hampstead, Que., town hall ruffles some residents
Adam Ben David, who lives in the on-island Montreal suburb, shared a letter with his concerns on social media and with the town’s mayor. Mayor Jeremy Levi says he never received complaints from residents about the flag and has no intention of lowering it.
Meanwhile, Levi has not hidden his stance on the Israel-Hamas war, posting frequently on his X account about his support for Israel, including advocating for Israel to move forward with “full occupation and annexation of Gaza.”
He has also posted that the he had no intention of removing the Israeli flag.
“I will never take down the Israeli flag. If that’s a problem for you, vote me out next election. If standing with Israel costs me the next election, so be it. I’ll wear it as a badge of honour. The flag stays.”
At a council meeting on Monday and available for viewing on YouTube, the mayor received a show of support from community members.
A longtime resident presented a petition asking for council to commit to continue displaying the Israeli flag on municipal buildings, even in the face of petitions or pressure calling for its removal, calling it a symbol of solidarity against terrorism and hate.
The request was met with a yes and roaring applause.
Following the presentation, Levi thanked the resident for following the democratic process.
“I do want to take this time to thank you for being a strong advocate in our community for what you believe is right,” he said.
“Whether you agree with the flag, you don’t agree with the flag, the democratic process is to circulate a petition, not to take matters into your hands and burn flags.”