Canadian Cities Heighten Security Ahead of Israel-Hamas War Anniversary

Vancouver and Montreal police increase presence at protests and religious sites to mitigate potential unrest.

Vancouver police are deploying additional officers at strategic locations, including faith-based schools and places of worship, ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Montreal police are also boosting their presence, focusing on places of worship and areas with planned protests, such as McGill University.
Both cities have experienced numerous protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Vancouver reporting over 344 protests and Montreal over 340 in the past year.
Police in Vancouver and Montreal have been coordinating with Jewish and Muslim community leaders to ensure safety and prevent hate crimes.
Montreal police have made over 100 arrests related to the conflict and recorded 288 hate crime complaints since October 2023, with a significant number targeting both Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities.