A Montreal political party has reported to the police after multiple campaign signs and vehicles were defaced with spray paint and offensive messages on Monday night. Action Montréal, led by Gilbert Thibodeau, discovered their posters, vehicles, and a building owned by one of their candidates tagged with profanity, homophobic slurs, death threats, the term “fascist,” and an anarchist symbol.
The party handed over video evidence to the authorities showing the vandalism at a building on Ontario and Bercy streets, linked to Sainte-Marie city council candidate Clint Jody. Additionally, one of the campaign posters for Mehdi Semsari, an Action Montréal candidate for borough mayor in Le Sud-Ouest, was found with what seemed to be a bullet hole through Semsari’s forehead.
Expressing condemnation for what he described as “undemocratic acts,” Semsari emphasized that such behavior has no place in a democratic society or during an election campaign. He urged people to look into their campaign and principles, highlighting their goals of a clean city and sound finances that stand in stark contrast to the accusations.
Projet Montréal Leader Luc Rabouin joined in denouncing the vandalism, labeling it as “unacceptable” and emphasizing that such actions not only target a political party but also undermine democracy and the inclusive values of the city. He stressed that hate and intimidation should never have a role in an election campaign, advocating for respectful discourse to address disagreements.
Semsari personally witnessed a potential act of vandalism in Montreal’s Centre-Sud on Tuesday and promptly informed the authorities to prevent further incidents.
