Montreal police investigating after at least 16 Metro stations vandalized

Montreal police are investigating a string of vandalism incidents overnight at more than a dozen Metro stations across the city.

At least 16 different stations were targeted, Montreal's transit authority (STM) confirmed. Doors, walls and some bus stops at the stations were plastered with pro-Palestinian posters and some graffiti. 

Many posters read, "Genocide in Palestine, Canada complicit" and some of the graffiti calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as the destruction and death toll in Gaza continues to climb. Posters also advertise another protest in support of people in Gaza this Sunday.

The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) said it began getting calls from commuters and residents around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, a half hour before trains started running. 

The SPVM's hate crimes unit was initially charged with leading the investigation this morning "as a precaution," police spokesperson Sabrina Gauthier said. 

Gauthier said investigators wanted to be sure there was no messaging inciting violence toward a religious group given the violent acts at Jewish institutions this past week.

The case has been transferred to the SPVM's Metro division. Police questioned people around the affected stations, but no arrests have been made so far. 

In a statement, the STM denounced the vandalism and said its maintenance teams have been deployed to remove the posters and the graffiti. A spokesperson said the cleanup will be gradual but should be complete by end of day Tuesday. 

The vandalized stations include: 

• Jean-Talon.
• Villa-Maria.
• Sherbrooke. 
• Jarry. 
• Mont-Royal.
• Beaubien.
• Édouard-Montpetit.
• Frontenac.
• Pie-IX.
• Viau.
• Fabre.
• Université-de-Montréal.
• Parc.
• De Castelnau.
• Acadie.
• Préfontaine.

Police say investigators will be reviewing security camera footage from several of the stations. 

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante posted to X, formerly Twitter, to denounce the "unacceptable acts" that undermine people's sense of security. 

"Metro stations are the gateway to the daily lives of Montrealers and we will not tolerate them being vandalized," Plante wrote, adding the vandals will be caught and punished. 

"Peace and kindness are more constructive avenues than hatred, which we must continue to denounce vigorously."

The vandalism comes at a time of rising tensions in Montreal related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.