Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Tech Style & Beauty Kitchen & Dining Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentTerry Newman: Quebecer objects to 'pro-Palestinian' protest in his neighbourhood. Police beat him upQuebec's provincial police should protect residents, not foreign-interest agitatorsLast updated 34 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Still from video posted on X by Leviathan, Andre Therrien is pictured being punched by Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers on May 30, 2026. Photo by https://x.com/l3v1at4anOn Saturday in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., a 52-year-old resident who objected to Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)-linked protesters in his neighbourhood was tackled from behind by Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers, punched repeatedly and left with broken glasses. The disturbing video suggests serious imbalances between the rights afforded to residents and those granted to protesters.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIn a viral video posted to social media by the X account Leviathan, André Therrien can be seen exchanging words with police officers and protesters, before turning around and walking away. The officers then decide to follow him. They tackle him from behind, knocking him to the ground, punch him several times in the liver and break his glasses before they cuff him. André Therrien says his glasses were broken after he was knocked to the ground by Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., on May 30, 2026. André Therrien (used with permission) Photo by Andre Therrien /used with permissionThis newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againWe don’t know exactly what happened before the events depicted in the video. But according to both Therrien and the SQ, the same officers released him without charge moments later in front of his vehicle, where his two dogs were waiting. Therrien says that when he went to a police station to file a complaint about his treatment, an officer advised him to file it online instead, and warned that charges against him may still be pending — a statement the SQ has since confirmed.In an interview, Therrien said he first learned of the rally on a Facebook page called Stop General Dynamics. Disturbed by what he views as PYM’s influence in his community, he decided to attend. Therrien’s house is a five-minute walk from Élisabeth Monette School, the site of the protest. “I don’t want these groups in my neighbourhood,” he said.Therrien was filming the rally when, he alleges, one protester knocked his phone from his hand. He shared a 30-second video showing him walking toward the masked demonstrators, many in keffiyehs, as those in front held a banner reading “Genocide Dynamics.” In the clip, Therrien yells at the crowd in French until the recording abruptly stops.At that point, he said that SQ officers intervened, telling him that they were there to protect him. Therrien claims he responded by saying, “OK, if you’re going to protect me, I’m going to stand in front of the manifestation (protest).”The SQ said officers arrested Therrien for “assault and obstruction” due to his aggressive behaviour toward the protesters, but released him on scene. “Charges related to the arrest may be laid at a later date,” it noted.The SQ declined to specify who Therrien allegedly assaulted and would not comment further, citing an ongoing investigation.Asked how the SQ balances the rights of residents and protesters, the force said that maintaining “peace, order and public safety, while allowing free expression” is part of its mandate, and that officers only intervene “to protect life and property, as well as to ensure everyone’s peaceful and free exercise of their individual and collective rights.”It remains unclear whether Therrien’s rights received the same consideration as those of the protesters.The “Stop General Dynamics” Facebook page says that its mission is to “stop the expansion project of the General Dynamics factory in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.”PYM Montreal promoted the event on Instagram, explaining that there would be two buses ferrying protesters to and from the site.The Stop General Dynamics Facebook account follows a network of Montreal-area pro-Palestinian groups, including PYM Montreal, Montreal4Palestine, Désinvestir pour la Palestine (Divest for Palestine) and Montérégie Antifasciste, whose bio states: “Expect increased resistance.”It also connects to pro-Palestinian activist Safa Chebbi, whose background image features a mural of Leila Khaled — a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a listed terrorist entity in Canada — depicted in a keffiyeh holding a Kalashnikov. Khaled participated in the 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840 and attempted to hijack El Al Flight 219 in 1970.Chebbi serves on the board of the federally funded L’Observatoire des inégalités raciales au Québec, which describes itself as “an action group for the production of knowledge” involving researchers, community and union actors. She also spoke on behalf of Divest for Palestine and acts as a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla.On her Instagram account, Chebbi shared archival footage of an interview with two FLQ terrorists who were training with the Palestine Liberation Organization. In the clip, they discuss pursuing a socialist revolution in Quebec and North America, and shifting their strategy from bombs toward political assassinations.In her comments, Chebbi laments that Quebec society is no longer openly anti-imperialist or “in dialogue with third-world liberation movements,” and calls for more talk of “revolution” and “overturning the western capitalist order.”This raises serious questions about why the federal government is funding organizations linked to Chebbi.It’s unclear whether the SQ understands the full scope of what it’s dealing with, including the foreign ties and ideological motivations behind these groups. If law enforcement agencies were fully aware of the violent nature of these protests, would officers have treated a local resident this way? Would the demonstrations be allowed to continue without deeper scrutiny?Perhaps the SQ and other law enforcement agencies need a thorough briefing. Listening to residents and investigating these groups and their objectives would be a better use of taxpayer dollars than jumping a 52-year-old man from behind as he’s walking away. It would also make our communities safer.National Post Get the latest from Terry Newman straight to your inbox Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.