Call for public support against criminalization of Palestine solidarity activism

Montreal, 12 March 2026 - Forty-four Palestine solidarity protestors have been fighting charges for nearly two years. Legal proceedings are underway for a large proportion of them. A preliminary hearing took place on Thursday March 12th ahead of a series of court dates that are scheduled to unfold over three weeks in April and May.

In the spring of 2024, protestors held a sit-in at a Scotiabank branch in Montreal to demand divestment from Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. Protestors were subjected to mass arrest and detention, including ill-treatment by the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM), and were subsequently criminally charged. To date, this remains the largest mass arrest of pro-Palestinian activists in Canada.

As Israel’s largest weapon’s company, Elbit Systems produces 80% of weapons and 85% of drones for the Israeli Occupation Forces. Elbit Systems advertises their weapons as “battle-tested” on Palestinians in Gaza, and play an important role in arming the ongoing genocide in Palestine, which has destroyed physical infrastructure and killed more than 72 000 Palestinians in Gaza, while forcibly displacing many others. Scotiabank has been the largest funder of Elbit Systems in Canada and among its top 5 shareholders. For this reason, Scotiabank and Elbit Systems have become major Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targets and the subjects of an ongoing campaign involving rallies, sit-ins, mass account cancellations and direct actions. Due to escalating pressure, Scotiabank fully divested from Elbit Systems in February 2026.

“Scotiabank’s divestment demonstrates that pressure tactics are both necessary and effective”, said Olly*, one of the co-defendants. 

Protestors are calling for public support, noting that their mass arrest is emblematic of the broader phenomenon of criminalizing Palestine solidarity activism. They further caution that the case could have serious ramifications for the ability to protest genocide both in Montreal and beyond. 

“The SPVM’s treatment of my clients throughout their arrest and detention is just one instance of police bias against Palestinians and pro-Palestine protestors that we've seen since 2023." says Barbara Bedont, one of the lawyers representing the defendants.

 "The police’s often violent responses to Palestine solidarity activism demonstrates their lack of neutrality in matters related to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and their violent incursions into the West Bank”, said Pali* another co-defendant. “This case is an important part of the ongoing struggle to protect our capacity to take action against those who are complicit in funding and arming colonialism, imperialism and genocide, be it in Gaza or elsewhere in the world.”

*Pseudonyms are used to protect identity of arrested individuals.