Pro-Palestinian protesters call on federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller to resign

After charges against three Pro-Palestinian activists were dropped last week in relation to a case of alleged harassment and mischief of federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, they are now calling for him to resign.

They gathered outside the Montreal courthouse on Thursday to make their demands.

“First, the immediate resignation of Marc Miller,” said Samar Alkhdour, one of the three protesters that was charged.

“I am the mother who has been staging a daily sit-in outside Miller’s office since March this year, demanding him to reform the temporary resident visa (TRV) program and treat my people the same way his government treated the Ukrainians,” she said.

Alkhdour is a Palestinian-Montrealer and she lost her daughter Jana in Gaza earlier this year and has been calling on the Canadian government to intervene in the war.

“I am also the mother that got charged for criminally harassing the same MP and his staff just for yelling at him from a distance,” she said.

The charges stem from a Sept. 5 interaction with Miller outside the Liberal campaign office in the Verdun by-election.

“No crime had occurred,” said the lawyer representing the activists, Barbara Bedont. “And yet, three protesters were accused of a crime and thrown in jail. And they were released, but then they had this legal case hanging over their heads.”

Mohanned Mansour is one of the protesters that was charged with mischief and harassment of Minister Miller and jailed for 40 hours, he says.

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“The experience was traumatic, considering I had done nothing wrong and I have been a law-abiding Canadian citizen all my life,” he said.

The activists say they were falsely accused by Miller’s staff. Previously, Miller said the charges did not come from him directly.

The charges against them were dropped on Nov. 29, when video evidence was presented to the prosecutor.

Although it was requested, the lawyer for the activists did not share the video with CityNews in time for our deadline.

“We filmed the whole experience and reading the paragraph that described what we allegedly did was shocking because we had the video that shows none of what they claimed happened,” Mansour said. “And it was only until they saw the video, that things started to change in our case, and that’s lucky for us. I can’t even imagine what would have happened had we not had the video.”

In a statement to CityNews, Miller’s office says they will not comment further on court decisions.

They add that Miller’s Montreal riding office has been the target of daily protests for months.

“His team has done their best to take appropriate measures, in order to continue serving fellow citizens who need their services in a safe manner, while also respecting the right to protest peacefully, under these conditions,” the statement reads.

“We live in a democratic country. Every individual has the full right to protest, to express their opinions, and to make their discontent heard. However, no matter the point of view, nothing can excuse vandalism and the endangerment of others. This is absolutely not peaceful protesting.”

Miller’s office says since the constituency office was vandalized, there has been “a considerable physical and mental toll” on staff and that “until safety can be fully assured, the office will remain closed.”

The office says Miller will “continue serving his constituents at the House of Commons, while supporting his riding staff.”

They say the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Montreal police (SPVM) are aware of ongoing threats to the Minister’s safety.

The activists say they want an apology from Miller. 

“The damage that was inflicted on the three of us in that case is huge and was traumatizing,” Alkhdour. “So, at least him being the Minister of Immigration, he owes us that apology.”

The group is also calling out the Montreal police for what they call repression at pro-Palestinian protests. While gathered in front of the courthouse, they showed videos of different instances of police and protesters physically clashing during protests.

“We are aware of our rights and how to peacefully protest, so they come to places and over-police protesters when they are not needed to be there,” Alkhdour says. “There’s no crime being committed. There’s no violation of any rights. So, they should be protected.”

In a statement to CityNews, the SPVM say they have dealt with nearly 500 protests in the past 14 months on the territory, with criminal events reported at only 10 of these demonstrations.

They say a total of 109 arrests have been made during the protests.

“The role of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM), during demonstration activities, is to ensure that they take place in peace, in good order, with the safety of people and property, and that they are carried out in compliance with the laws and regulations in force as well as the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights and freedoms,” the statement reads.

“We have the power to make arrests when violations of laws and regulations are committed. Arrests can also occur during an investigation or at the end of an investigation,” the SPVM added.