Jacques Cartier Bridge reopens after pro-Palestinian demonstration causes closure during morning rush hour
Posted November 16, 2023 8:41 am.
Last Updated November 16, 2023 11:04 am.
MONTREAL – The Jacques Cartier Bridge, one of the main traffic arteries between Montreal and the South Shore, was closed to traffic in both directions during much of morning rush hour on Thursday, due to the presence of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Shortly after 7 a.m., a press release was issued by people claiming to be responsible for the demonstration, which was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war.
The demonstrators called on Prime Minister Trudeau to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Protesters waving Palestinian flags and banners onto the bridge, near the de Lorimier Avenue exit, to block traffic.
Police officers were seen in Montreal and Longueuil urging motorists approaching the bridge to take a different direction. Other motorists trapped on the bridge from around 6:45 a.m. onwards were forced to turn back.
At around 8:30 a.m. the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated posted on X that the traffic lanes were beginning to reopen.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) reported no arrests in connection with the protest. Demonstrators appeared to have left the Montreal side of the bridge peacefully.
In Vancouver on Wednesday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators surrounded a Chinatown restaurant where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was dining. Dozens of police were dispatched to control the crowd, who were calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
-This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 16, 2023.
