anti-asian racism Montreal Valérie Plante

Valérie Plante: “Anti-Asian racism has no place in Montreal”

The Mayor was among the many politicians who denounced a racist rant at a Nun’s Island IGA.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante made a statement following an anti-Asian rant at a Nun’s Island IGA on Wednesday. A video of the incident, which was captured by the target of the racist abuse, Ken Mak, shows a woman blaming Chinese people for COVID-19, frequently lowering her mask and shouting down staff and fellow shoppers who argue with her.

“I denounce the racist remarks made by this woman, which are shocking and unacceptable. Anti-Asian racism has no place in Montreal, and this type of aggression should never be tolerated.”

—Valérie Plante

Valérie Plante: “Anti-Asian racism has no place in Montreal”

Benoit Charette, the Minister responsible for the fight against racism in Quebec, echoed Plante’s sentiment.

“Saddening, shocking and condemnable! Behaviour of this kind simply has no place in Quebec.”

—Benoit Charette

The woman in the video was reportedly removed from the store by police, but Mak did not press charges.

The video prompted many shares and denouncements on Twitter and other social media platforms, from the likes of federal MPs and ministers Mary Ng, Mélanie Joly, Ahmed Hussen, François-Philippe Champagne, Verdun MNA Isabelle Melançon, Quebec journalists Marc Cassivi and Emna Achour and Montreal comedian Mike Ward.


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