By Canadian Press

Man arrested in anti-Semitic graffiti attack on Montreal synagogue to appear in court

Jan 14, 2021 | 9:03 AM

Montreal police say a 28-year-old man arrested Wednesday for allegedly defacing a synagogue with anti-Semitic graffiti will appear in court today.

The man was arrested after spray-painted swastikas were found on the doors of Shaar Hashomayim, one of the city’s largest synagogues.

Const. Raphael Bergeron says a request for psychological evaluation is expected for the suspect.

Rabbi Adam Scheier of Shaar Hashomayim told members in a letter that a security guard detained the man before he was arrested by police.

The synagogue says the suspect was carrying a gas canister when he was arrested.

The incident prompted widespread outrage, including from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who condemned the “vile act in the strongest terms possible.”

“We must always denounce anti-Semitic hate, no matter when or where it arises,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

Premier Francois Legault also condemned the incident.

“An unacceptable anti-Semitic gesture, which must be denounced loud and clear,” Legault wrote Wednesday evening on Twitter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2021.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press