Montreal’s Jewish community feels targeted during coronavirus crisis
It was a confrontation Montreal’s Jewish community says should never have happened.
Police entered an Outremont synagogue Thursday night after a complaint, investigating a religious ceremony amid restrictions on gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I saw there was eight police lined up on the building,” said Max Lieberman, a member of the Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec. “The police told me they got the complaint from the fire department, that the fire department saw close to 50 people doing a prayer.
Police won’t comment on the incident. But the community insists the building was empty and officers were too heavy-handed.
“We follow the rules. If they find in our community if a minority that does not follow, we have no problem with them using the force of the law,” Lieberman said. “But at the same time, we want to make sure not to scapegoat us. After the crisis will be over, we still need to live together.”
The Jewish community complains it’s yet another incident in which they’re being unfairly targeted during the COVID-19 crisis.