Montreal mayor says weekend pro-Palestinian protests were taken over by ‘professional vandals’ [Video]

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told journalists at a news conference she believes the pro-Palestinian and anti-NATO protests that took place on Friday were taken over “by professional vandals.” 

She said it’s a common occurence in Montreal for “agitators,” often known as the Black Bloc, to show up at protests in the city to vandalize and smash windows and police are used to it. Protesters smashed windows at the Palais des Congrès, where NATO officials were meeting all weekend.

“The protest itself was to share concern about what’s happening in Palestine and vandals took over the protest,” Plante said. 

“It’s using a cause to break things and put people’s security at risk. Protesting is a sign of a healthy democracy, but the vandals are just thinking of themselves and not the cause or the effects it will have one everyone else,” she added. 

Friday’s protest was organized by the groups Divest for Palestine and the …