Hate crimes unit investigating knife threat against Montreal Uber driver

Montreal police say their hate crimes unit is investigating after an Uber driver reported being threatened with a knife by a passenger earlier this month.

Police say the incident occurred on Dec. 6 around 11:45 p.m. near Square-Victoria Street and Saint-Antoine Street in the Ville-Marie borough.

According to a Montreal police spokesperson, an exchange took place inside the vehicle, prompting the driver to stop the car and ask the two passengers to get out.

One of the passengers threatened the driver with a knife and made a reference to his religious affiliation, police said. A witness in the vehicle did not make any threats.

The driver went several days later to a police station to report the incident.

Montreal police say the file was transferred to the hate crimes unit because of the threats allegedly targeting the driver’s origin. No arrests have been made, and investigators are currently seeking both the suspect and the witness.

‘Enough is enough’: NCCM

In a statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) described the incident as a serious act of Islamophobic violence and said it has repeatedly warned about growing hostility toward Muslim people in Quebec.

The NCCM alleges the passenger demanded the driver reveal whether he was Muslim before pulling out a knife and threatening him. The organization says the driver narrowly escaped harm thanks to the intervention of another passenger.

“Enough is enough: no one in Quebec should fear for their life because of their religion,” the NCCM said in an online post, calling on political leaders to condemn what it described as an Islamophobic attack and to take concrete steps to address hate.

The organization said it is in contact with law enforcement and other parties involved, noting that more information is needed to verify all facts and ensure accountability.

Montreal police say the investigation is ongoing.