Montreal is descending into chaos, with last Friday marking a shocking turning point—cars set ablaze, journalists assaulted, and windows smashed in a wave of violence.

Amid this unrest, Dr. Lior Bibas, a cardiologist and intensivist at Pierre Boucher Community Hospital, has emerged as a vocal advocate against the escalating antisemitism plaguing the city. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) and speaking out in an interview, he laid bare the struggles of Montreal’s Jewish community.

“We’ve had to heighten security in every aspect—our schools, synagogues, and gatherings,” Dr. Bibas revealed. “Many of our schools were shot at. We had Molotov cocktails thrown at synagogues. There’s been a lot of threats. This is not the city I grew up in or one where I feel I can safely raise my children.”

Since then, bullets have been fired at our schools, Molotov cocktails thrown at our synagogues, security and police presence in Jewish neighbourhoods have had to increase, and a volunteer-based community security service has expanded out of necessity. Community events are now…

— Lior Bibas🎗️ (@LiorBibasMD) November 23, 2024

Dr. Bibas shared his frustration with the lack of consequences for violent protests, stating: “There’s a right to peaceful protest, but there’s nothing peaceful about these protests. People wear masks, chant hateful slogans, and openly intimidate others. It doesn’t make sense that, with everything we saw last Friday, only three arrests were made.”

Back to antisemitism in Montreal. For us, everything changed on October 8, 2023—the day after. Still reeling from the atrocities of October 7, we witnessed people celebrating, handing out candies, and glorifying Hamas’ so-called “resistance.” And it hasn’t stopped since.

Under…

— Lior Bibas🎗️ (@LiorBibasMD) November 23, 2024

He also condemned the lack of decisive political action: “We need more than a good tweet. We need action. The Jewish community feels abandoned by both the municipal and federal governments. Without recognizing this as a serious issue, we can’t move forward.”

Calling for unity in the face of hate, Dr. Bibas urged, “What starts with the Jews doesn’t end with the Jews. Antisemitism affects everyone. We need to stand together for our shared values and the city we used to know.”