TENSIONS AT THE U.S. BORDER
Two groups of protesters face off
Police separated pro- and anti-immigration demonstrators at the St-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing Saturday afternoon, after the two groups chanted slogans and hurled insults at each other.
About 100 right-wing protesters and a similar number of counter-demonstrators, including members of the Montreal-based refugee-support group Solidarity Across Borders, gathered at the Canada-United States border crossing.
The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim group Storm Alliance was hoping to make waves this weekend with demonstrations first at the Lacolle border Saturday, then in Quebec City on Monday.
The far-right group appealed to its supporters on Facebook to participate in Saturday’s protests against what it called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s destructive immigration policy.
As tensions mounted, a large contingent of riot police from the Sûreté du Québec kept the two groups apart.
Pro-immigration demonstrators arrived earlier to ensure that migrants receive a message that they are welcome. A spokesperson on the scene, Anas Bouslikhane, called for Quebecers and Canadians to welcome asylum-seekers.
He noted that it was at the Lacolle crossing that thousands of migrants of Haitian origin entered Quebec during the summer, fleeing the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. Bouslikhane said it was important for the counter-protesters “to face down the extreme right group Storm Alliance” whose aim is to intimidate asylum-seekers.
Earlier, Radio-Canada reported that police detained a protester for drawing on a border post building with chalk.
The influx of asylum-seekers entering Canada at unofficial entry points dropped last month, with fewer than 100 arrivals daily.