‘Criminal act’: Immigration minister Marc Miller condemns vandalization of his Montreal office
Posted July 18, 2024 9:40 am.
Last Updated July 18, 2024 4:33 pm.
Federal Minister Marc Miller’s constituency office in Montreal was vandalized, police saying the event may be linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Early Thursday morning, a citizen contacted emergency services to report that vandalism had been committed at Miller’s office, located on Saint-Jacques Street, in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough. Miller is the Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Montreal Police (SPVM) confirms that several misdeeds were committed on the premises, as paint was thrown, windows were smashed and graffiti was done.
The police said there was not a break-in, as initially reported, but instead suspects created mischief from outside, but spraying paint inside the office.
“We will obviously take into account all the damage, but we can expect major damage to the building,” said Sabrina Gauthier, SPVM spokesperson.
The hypothesis which is currently favored by the police is that the event would be linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, since there have been “many demonstrations which have taken place in the last days and the last weeks almost of the building.”
Gauthier adds that the hypothesis is still too early to confirm.
“We are still waiting for investigators and forensic identification to analyze the scene and be able to confirm the hypothesis or refute it if it is erroneous,” explained Gauthier.
In a video posted to social media, pro-Palestinian protesters were seen demonstrating in front of Miller’s office on Wednesday evening.
The SPVM reported no arrests in this case Thursday morning. Investigative steps will be carried out during the day, including checking surveillance cameras.
#WATCH: “It’s too early,” says SPVM spokesperson, Sabrina Gauthier, on confirming Montreal police’s hypothesis that the vandalism at federal minister Marc Miller’s office is linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
READ: https://t.co/eEsaUojxlN pic.twitter.com/DIPxuhenOf
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) July 18, 2024
Miller took to social media platform X on Thursday morning and said, “This is a criminal act, which I absolutely condemn. My teams are safe, they were not injured. That’s what matters most.”
Au cours de la nuit, mon bureau de comté dans le centre-ville de Montréal a été vandalisé. Il s’agit d’un acte criminel, que je condamne absolument.
— Marc Miller ᐅᑭᒫᐃᐧᐅᓃᐸᐄᐧᐤᐃᔨᐣ (@MarcMillerVM) July 18, 2024
Mes équipes sont en sécurité, elles n’ont pas été blessées. C’est ce qui compte le plus.
Miller says the SPVM and the RCMP are aware and are looking for suspects in the case.
He said that for months his office has been threatened daily. “We have done our best to take adequate precautionary measures, in order to serve our fellow citizens who need our services,” he wrote.
Miller added that in a democratic country, individuals have the right to demonstrate, “however, no matter how you look at it, nothing can excuse vandalism and endangering others.”
He said that this demonstration is no longer peaceful. “My teams and I will continue to serve Montrealers, without fail or delay, as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Without revealing its investigative practices or confirming that it will discuss with Minister Miller’s team, the SPVM emphasizes that it will “collaborate with people who are possibly targeted.”
Marc Miller has been Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship since last summer. He has been the Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs since 2015.
–With files from The Canadian Press
