MONTREAL –
With prayers, protests, and a heavy police presence, Canada has marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered an ongoing war.
Children arrived at Jewish schools under police watch in cities including Vancouver and Toronto.
Mourners remembered victims of the attacks and prayed for the safe return of hostages seized by Hamas, while others demonstrated against Israel’s military action in Gaza that has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Events were mostly trouble-free, but in Montreal, what began as a large and peaceful pro-Palestinian march through the city’s downtown ended with police using chemical irritants and sheer numbers to chase off a group of protesters who used metal bars to smash the doors and windows of a row …