Montreal is facing a disturbing question: when does protest stop being political speech and become public intimidation?
That question became impossible to ignore after images from a Montreal anti-Israel protest showed hanged effigies, including one figure reportedly wearing Jewish visual markers. The imagery was condemned by Jewish community voices and political figures as antisemitic incitement, not legitimate activism. In a city where Jewish residents have already reported rising fear since October 7, this kind of display does not exist in a vacuum. It lands as a threat.
Anastasia Zorchinsky, a Concordia student leader and councillor, has become one of the young voices pushing back against the normalization of anti-Jewish hostility on campus and in the streets. According to The Canadian Jewish News, Zorchinsky has spoken about the climate Jewish and Israeli students faced after Hamas’s October 7 attack, saying her campus group was targeted for being “the only Israeli club.” ([The Canadian Jewish News][1])
Her message is direct: anti-Israel activism cannot be used as a mask for praising terrorism, harassing Jewish students, or turning Montreal into a stage for hate.
The concern is not isolated. In 2024, attorney Neil Oberman served Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante with a formal demand letter accusing the city of failing to enforce laws against unlawful assemblies and hate-driven intimidation after October 8, 2023. The letter, reported by The Suburban, argued that Montreal had become a space where extremist groups could interfere with the daily lives of citizens “under the guise” of political protest. ([qcna.qc.ca][2])
Oberman has also been tied to legal efforts to protect Jewish institutions from hostile demonstrations. The Suburban reported that a Quebec Superior Court injunction restricted protests near Jewish community institutions, including the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue, Federation CJA, the YM-YWHA, Herzliah High School, and United Talmud Torahs. The injunction named groups including Montréal4Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement Montreal, Alliance4Palestine.QC, and Independent Jewish Voices. ([qcna.qc.ca][3])
For many Jewish Montrealers, the issue is not disagreement over Israeli policy. It is the atmosphere around Jewish life itself. When demonstrators gather near synagogues, block access to Jewish community buildings, or display violent imagery involving Jewish symbols, the message received by the community is not “debate.” It is pressure, intimidation, and fear.
Montreal has already seen antisemitic incidents become a public concern. CIJA has previously welcomed Montreal City Council’s condemnation of antisemitism, saying the city committed to fighting Jew-hatred. ([cija.ca][4]) Global News also reported that Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante denounced antisemitism after a Jewish-owned restaurant was allegedly targeted. ([Global News][5])
That is why the current moment matters. The city cannot treat antisemitism as background noise. It cannot wait until intimidation becomes violence before acting seriously.
Political protest is protected. Criticism of governments is protected. But glorifying Hamas, targeting Jewish institutions, using hanging imagery, and creating a climate where Jewish students and families feel unsafe is not social justice. It is hate wearing activist clothing.
Zorchinsky’s stance and Oberman’s legal actions point to the same demand: Montreal must draw a line.
A city that tolerates antisemitic intimidation in the name of activism is not protecting free speech. It is abandoning its Jewish citizens.
Antisemitism is on the rise in Montreal. The question now is whether the city has the courage to confront it.
[1]: https://thecjn.ca/news/campus/chai-achiever-concordias-anastasia-zorchinsky-pushes-back-against-campus-hostility-with-israel-advocacy/?utmsource=chatgpt.com "Chai Achiever: Concordia& 039;s Anastasia Zorchinsky pushes ..." [2]: https://qcna.qc.ca/suburban-exclusive-mayor-plante-served-by-bailiff-with-demand-letter-holding-her-personally-responsible-for-inaction-against-anti-semitism-and-climate-of-anarchy/?utmsource=chatgpt.com "Mayor Plante served by bailiff with demand letter holding her ..." [3]: https://qcna.qc.ca/tag/federation-cja/?utmsource=chatgpt.com "Federation CJA" [4]: https://www.cija.ca/federationcjaandcijawelcomemontrealcitycouncilscondemnationofantisemitism?utmsource=chatgpt.com "Federation CJA and CIJA Welcome Montreal City Council& 039;s ..." [5]: https://globalnews.ca/news/10576954/montreal-antisemitism-restaurant-targeted/?utmsource=chatgpt.com "Montreal mayor denounces antisemitism after restaurant ..."