On Saturday, Rebel News was in Ottawa filming the annual anti-Israel march on Parliament Hill. But the real story unfolded the next day, back in Montreal.

On Sunday, Montreal4Palestine announced a protest outside the Notre-Dame Basilica, a sacred site for Christians. Usually they end their protest with a public prayer, and we knew this was something the public deserved to see—especially since no one else was covering it.

This is a story you need to hear, and I urge you to watch the footage we captured—it’s critical. Freedom of the press is under attack, and it’s happening right in front of us. The truth is being silenced, but we’re here to show you what others won’t dare touch.

You might know Natasha Graham, an independent freelance journalist documenting the rise of antisemitism in Montreal since October 7, 2023.

She’s fearless, and I’ve been working alongside her to cover stories that matter. Natasha was arrested for simply doing her job: covering a pro-Hamas, anti-Israel protest in Montreal last Sunday. It’s outrageous, and you’ll be shocked by what happened.

Please visit SaveNatasha.com to support her fight against these unjust criminal charges.

Myself and Natasha showed up to document this pro-terrorist protest, much like many others in the past. Around 4:45 p.m., we arrived and heard Iyad Abuhamed—a well-known anti-Israel figure who’s openly called Hamas’s October 7th attacks on Israel a “great victory”—addressing the crowd, even calling for jihad. Natasha and I quietly filmed his disturbing speech from the sidewalk, not bothering anyone, just doing our jobs.

But then, a few moments after they started marching, the man at the microphone spotted us. He started chanting, “All Zionists are racist! All Zionists are terrorists!” The crowd turned on us fast. People surrounded us, emboldened by his words, shouting threats and trying to intimidate us.

Watch the footage—it’s chilling. It got worse. They closed in so tight that Natasha and I were physically assaulted. The man who attacked me was Ziad Mowafy, someone previously caught on camera making death threats. Hiding behind a mask, he didn’t hesitate to hit a female reporter. The aggression was unreal. Natasha was assaulted too. And the police?

When we reported the assaults, the SPVM officer brushed it off, acting like we were the problem—claiming we were provoking and assaulting others.

CALLS FOR JIHAD IN MONTREAL: Anti-Israel protesters gather with flags here in Quebec.

Iyad Abuhamed, man on speaker, calls for everyone to make sacrifices for their cause, and for jihad. pic.twitter.com/o2L6QgNl1s

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) April 13, 2025

I took the opportunity to ask my questions in person. That’s what journalists do. But at that moment, an officer—Montreal police officer Simon Fortier—physically shoved me, saying, “I know who you work for. You’re with Rebel News.” He accused me of stirring trouble and threatened to arrest me. He kept repeating my outlet’s name, painting a target on me.

When Natasha stepped in, asking the same police officer to control the mob, agent Fortier turned on her too. He told Natasha we were “disturbing” the protest just by being there. Can you believe it? They even justified the crowd’s antisemitic chants and calls for genocide, saying it’s “protected” under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But let’s be clear: hate speech, calls for genocide, and supporting terrorist organizations aren’t protected—they’re crimes. Then things took a darker turn.

Officer Fortier started intimidating Natasha, getting right up in her personal space, despite her being meters away from the protesters. She asked him to stop touching her—his belt and gear were brushing against her—and tried to mimic his behaviour to make a point. That’s when he grabbed her hips, a completely inappropriate move for a male officer. When Natasha pushed his hand away with her free hand—she was filming with the other—and said, “Don’t touch me,” he snapped.

My photo here was taken just before Natasha was arrested for allegedly “assaulting” a police officer. The officer kept advancing toward Natasha despite protesters being metres away. This caused her to step back as he moved into her personal space, closer and closer. The officer… pic.twitter.com/HDREScyVcj

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) April 14, 2025

He grabbed her arms, twisted them, and arrested her for “assaulting” and “obstructing” an officer. Watch the footage: three officers pinning a mother and journalist, twisting her arms and wrists while she cried out in pain, her camera still rolling around her neck. The crowd cheered as they assaulted a female reporter. They were shouting that she worked for Rebel News—something Natasha repeatedly denied.

Let me set the record straight: Natasha’s never worked for us, never taken a dime from us. She’s 100% independent. The police then said they’d drive her somewhere and “drop her off.” You need to see it for yourself. What happened to Natasha is outrageous.

Pro-Hamas mobs are running wild in Montreal—setting off smoke bombs, vandalizing property, intimidating and assaulting people, chanting genocidal and antisemitic slogans—and the police protect them.

But an independent journalist, just trying to document a public event, ends up with criminal charges, physical injuries, and mental trauma. We stand with Natasha. If you do too, please donate to her legal defence at SaveNatasha.com to help get these charges dropped.

Save Natasha (Legal Fund)

Independent journalist Natasha Graham was arrested in Montreal while doing her job — covering an anti-Israel protest in the heart of the old city. Before police took her away in handcuffs, Natasha had already been assaulted multiple times by the aggressive, pro-Hamas crowd. We’re raising money to help cover Natasha’s legal fees. She deserves the best lawyer we can get — someone who will defend her rights and push back against this abuse of power. Stand with Natasha. Stand for freedom of the press.

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