A particularly repugnant incident occurred this week during Montreal's Pride Parade in Canada, after Jewish groups marching in the parade claimed that urine-filled balloons were thrown at them. According to reports, a 35-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of throwing them.
A Jewish participant in the parade told the local Gazette newspaper that the liquid "smelled like urine." He described that while marching with the group, he felt something wet hit him. "At first I thought it was water, and then the smell came," he said.
Jews and their non-Jewish friends were attacked with urine-filled balloons at Montreal Pride.🎈
This happened under a significant police presence.
Which side do you feel police are protecting?
(The balloon incident is not seen in this video — but lots of police sure are!) pic.twitter.com/NxmO16Mhov
— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) August 11, 2025
In fact, the planned participation of the groups in the parade was a source of controversy in the preparations for the event. The organizers of "Fierté Montréal" – the organization that organizes the official Pride parade – initially removed the two groups from the participants list, claiming they "spread hate speech." Days later, they reversed the decision following criticism, including a letter signed by five members of parliament.
Montreal police confirmed that the incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday during the parade, but did not confirm which group was affected or what type of liquid was thrown. Police spokesman Julien Lévesque said, "We have not confirmed what type of liquid hit the participants." In contrast, a pro-Palestinian group claimed on social media that one of its members "sprayed" those Jewish groups with "natural material that is harmless but stinks."
The shameful event joins a growing wave of antisemitism in Canada. Last weekend, a Jewish man was violently attacked in Montreal in the presence of his young children, and last month, a city employee was even arrested on charges of vandalizing a Holocaust memorial in the capital, Ottawa. All of these naturally join Canada's recent announcement about the possibility of recognizing a Palestinian state.
