The Montreal police have arrested two suspects in connection with a string of alleged incidents targeting Hasidic Jewish men in the city’s Outremont and Mile End neighbourhoods.
According to the community, on the evening of July 3, several men were accosted and harassed as they left synagogues, and at least three had their traditional fur hats, or shtreimels, stolen from them.
“Such acts have no place in Montreal, in Quebec, or anywhere,” the Jewish Hasidic Council of Quebec said in a statement Wednesday. “While these arrests mark an important milestone, the judicial process must now take its course.”
In addition to the stolen shtreimels, the council says people were subject to antisemitic slurs and insults, or had cans or bottles thrown at them. One man who uses a wheelchair was allegedly spat on.
The Montreal police hate crimes unit led the investigation. In a statement, the department said the two suspects were arrested this week and released on conditions until the case returns to court early next year.
Police said the suspects targeted eight Jewish people in all and face several assault charges.
“They reportedly approached these individuals, hurled insults at them, and stole the shtreimel from some of them,” the department said. “The suspects then fled in their vehicle.”
Several of the incidents were caught on video and shared online.
In one video, a car is seen pulling up next to the curb on Bernard St. before a man gets out and opens the back door. As a Hasidic man walks by, the man tries to snatch his hat. A brief confrontation follows, with the man taunting the victim before running back to the car, which speeds off.
In a separate video, a man who appears to have his face covered is seen slowly following a Hasidic man up a street before snatching his shtreimel from behind and running away.
The council applauded the police for their work on Wednesday and thanked the victims and witnesses that came forward in the case.
“We must stand together against antisemitism and every form of hatred, intimidation, and violence directed at any person or community,” the council wrote. “No one should be made to feel unsafe because of their faith, identity, or appearance.”
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