Verbal clashes at Israel anniversary celebrations in Montreal

Montreal’s Jewish community gathered in Côte-des-Neiges this morning to celebrate the 77th anniversary since the founding of Israel. (CTV)

Montreal’s Jewish community gathered in Côte-des-Neiges this morning to celebrate the 77th anniversary since the founding of Israel.

They were met by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Thousands marched through the streets waving Israeli flags.

“We’re celebrating the 77th anniversary of the return of Jewish sovereignty to our ancestral homeland. It’s the largest such gathering outside of the state of Israel,” said Anthony Koch, a spokesperson for the event.

Attendees said they wanted to come together as a community and “support the country that keeps [them] safe.”

At the same time, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters denounced the celebrations.

“Why they are here celebrating the 77 years of ethnic cleansing? Why they are celebrating 77 years of killing innocent people? Why they are celebrating 77 years, not only 77 years. I want to talk about the genocide that happened 18 months ago. More than 25,000 kids have been killed. So, is that what they are celebrating?” said one protester who did not want to be identified.

The two sides shouted each other down across police tape for about 30 minutes.

Police say the standoff ended without incident and no arrests were made.

Many in attendance said they were hoping for a celebration free from politics, but in the context of the war in the middle east, protesters said you can’t separate the two.