There was a tense confrontation earlier this week between a group of pro-Palestinian protesters at a government office and the staff at a restaurant next door. It began as a loud protest at an event on Sherbrooke Street near the office of Liberal MP Marc Miller at Peel and Sherbrooke streets Tuesday night. But the owner of a Greek restaurant next door, Zante, asked the protesters to refrain from blocking his entrance so customers could come in. What happened next was caught in an Instagram video that has since gone viral. In it, owner Costa Dimitriou can be seen hosing water at the protesters while being yelled at. Police quickly intervened and ordered Dimitriou to stop, while ordering protesters to get out of the way. “I asked politely, I said, please, do you mind moving away from our door? Because I have customers coming in to see you’re in the way,” a visibly shaken Dimitriou told CTV News. “So at one point after four times, maybe I did the wrong thing. But, you know, I went back again. I asked politely and they didn’t leave. And I had to do what I had to do and they got them to move.” CTV News reached out to two of the protesters who filmed the videos but didn’t get a response. A spokesperson from the Montreal police says they’re investigating the incident, but wouldn’t say if charges would be laid against anyone. Other downtown businessowners say they feel Dimitriou’s pain. Jon Cercone is the co-owner and general manager of the Tavern on the Square in Westmount, a frequent target of year-round protests because the Israeli consulate is in the complex. “You can see the size of my restaurant, which is 100 people. What do you think 70 cancellations does,” says Cercone. He says he respects people’s right to protest and refuses to engage with anyone about politics, but won’t stay quiet about how he says his own rights are ignored. “The issue is that the people who are bystanders, who are collateral damage, are not being supported and that has always been my point. However, when you present these points, it’s politicized” he said. Cercone understands that the SPVM have their hands tied because the right to protest is essential in Canada. However, he expects the city to be more proactive. Leslie Roberts, Ensemble Montreal’s councillor for downtown, says he asked the SPVM to do their job. “I think the police must enforce the laws that are on the books, and that didn’t happen the other night as you would expect it to be done,” he said. “We’ve now asked the SPVM to look at the bylaws, understand what they mean, and to apply them accordingly.”
