A suspect in the Friday beating of a Jewish father in a Montreal park was arrested on Monday, the Montreal Police Service announced in a press release.
The 24-year-old man was arrested for the incident that began when the suspect sprayed the contents of his water bottle at a Jewish man who was with his children at Dickie-Moore Park. The police service said that when the victim approached the suspect, the attacker pushed the father to the ground, then kneed him and punched him several times in the face. A video of the incident posted online by Community activist Mayer Feig also showed the attacker flinging the victim’s kippa into a fountain.
“The SPVM has spared no effort to locate the suspect and is continuing its investigation to shed full light on the circumstances of this criminal act,” said the Montreal Police. “The SPVM would like to thank the citizens who contributed to this outcome by sending us information that facilitated the suspect’s location.”
Feig, whose video of the incident drew outrage from Canadian politicians and Jewish community groups, expressed his thanks to the SPVM for the “quick arrest” of the suspect.
Outrage in response to the assault
“The care and sensitivity that you showed to this horrific assault is truly appreciated,” Feig said on X/Twitter on Monday.
“The Jewish Community Council of Montreal also welcomed the arrest, but criticized the SPVM for their slow response to the attack, arguing that an hour was too long to arrive “after a violent hate crime committed in broad daylight against a man whose only ‘offense’ was being visibly Jewish.”
“That delay is not a minor lapse. It is a dereliction of duty. It is a signal, intentional or not, that when Jews are targeted, urgency is optional. If this attack had been against another community, would police have taken nearly 60 minutes to arrive? The question answers itself, and the truth is as infuriating as it is dangerous,” JCC Montreal Executive Director Rabbi Saul Emanuel said in a Monday social media statement.
“Our community will not forget this failure. We will not accept it. And we will not stop demanding answers until Montreal police explain why a father could be beaten in front of his children, have his kippah ripped from his head and thrown into a fountain, and still wait nearly an hour for the protection he is owed as a citizen of this city.”
Emanuel called upon the justice system to ensure that the attacker received the maximum legal penalty, without plea bargains or mitigating circumstances.
B’nai Brith Canada warned after the arrest that the Friday incident was a wake-up call for the entire city, and that it had occurred because Canadian leaders had tolerated “an atmosphere in which hateful thugs feel empowered to act with impunity.”
The organization also noted in a Monday statement that the police announcement didn’t include details of the treatment of the victim’s religious garment, nor mention his Jewish identity.
“Omitting such critical facts does a disservice to the public and gives the impression that the authorities are tone-deaf to the crisis Jews in Montreal are facing on a daily basis,” Bnai Brith Canada Research and Advocacy director Richard Robertson said in a press release. “With the situation continuing to devolve, Jewish Canadians need leaders to pay more than mere lip service to antisemitism. We need all levels of government to take clear and unequivocal positions on combating this scourge of hate.”
B'nai Brith Canada also advised voters to hold the current municipal government accountable by voting in the upcoming fall election.