3 injured, 1 arrested as Concordia students clash over Israel-Hamas conflict

globalnews.ca:

Tensions over the conflict in Gaza escalated into a brawl Wednesday afternoon at Concordia University in downtown Montreal.

Three people were injured and a 22-year-old woman was arrested, according to Montreal police, after a violent clash broke out between students over the conflict in the Middle East.

Police were called to intervene just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after a skirmish between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students. Students can be seen in multiple videos posted on social media, pushing and violently shoving during the heated exchanges.

It took officials several hours to break up the event.

The confrontation began after the two student groups held individual fundraising and awareness events at the same time only a few feet apart in one of the school’s common areas.

A 54-year-old, a 19-year-old security guard, and a student in their 20s suffered minor injuries, according to police.

On Wednesday night, Concordia University president Graham Carr condemned what he said were three separate acts of violence or intimidation at the school that day. In addition to the  two security guards and a student being injured, swastikas were found on a university building, and a student group published a social media post that could be interpreted as inciting violence.

The violent video garnered strong political reaction, with many calling for calm.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante strongly condemned the incident on social media, saying that “acts of violence have no place” in the city.

Les actes de violence tels que ceux qui ont touchés aujourd’hui les étudiants de Concordia et l’attaque à une synagogue hier, sont inacceptables.

Ces actes haineux n’ont absolument pas leur place à Montréal; une ville de paix, de sécurité et de