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The young man who filmed himself hurling misogynistic insults at a Montreal police officer during a traffic stop is now facing criminal defamation charges for alleged incidents involving other officers.
Mohamed Bekkali, 24, pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal defamatory libel during his arrest by Montreal police on July 3. He was released and is set to appear in court in late September, according to judicial documents.
In June 2025, Bekkali filmed himself repeatedly insulting a female police officer after she pulled him over for driving with illegally tinted windows, according to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). He was let go with a $186 fine.
Bekkali’s video resurfaced earlier this year and led to conversations around misogyny, the safety of officers, and the scope of police powers. These debates even reached the National Assembly.
He has posted at least one other similar video. The infraction related to his recent arrest, however, is dated June 13, 2026.
Around that time, Bekkali allegedly published defamatory material targeting three police officers, according to the charge sheet held by the Quebec Crown prosecutor’s office.
In a statement to CBC News on Monday, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Bekkali’s arrest demonstrates some limits can’t be breached.
“It sends a clear message that respect toward our police officers is non-negotiable,” she wrote.
WATCH | One of Bekkali’s videos resurfaces in March, sparking public debate:
Misogynistic verbal attack on female Montreal police officer sparks calls for stronger protections
A video has surfaced showing a traffic stop in Montreal escalating into misogynistic insults hurled at a female officer in 2025, prompting the Montreal police chief to call for the adoption of a municipal bylaw intended to prevent such incidents. But some advocates have expressed reservations about this approach.
Ugo Gilbert-Tremblay, a law professor at Université de Montréal, says the defamation charge is rarely used by prosecutors in cases like this.
“As for a finding of guilt, the outcome is difficult to predict, particularly when it comes to proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Bekkali intended to defame those officers,” he wrote in an email to CBC News.
Following outcry from the public and Quebec politicians regarding his June 2025 video, Bekkali defended himself on social media, saying he had been a victim of racial profiling.
In March, the Parti Québécois’ Joëlle Arseneau introduced a motion asking the government to enact legislation prohibiting verbal abuse or insults directed at police officers in the performance of their duties.
Montreal police had also asked the City of Montreal to introduce a bylaw to prevent verbal abuse toward officers. At the time, Martinez Ferrada had said it was too early to tell if a new bylaw was needed.
In her statement Monday, she says she recognizes the importance of such a bylaw.
“And it is essential to get it right,” she wrote. “We want to work on it with the SPVM and the police union to ensure we implement a bylaw that is effective, enforceable, and legally sound.”