The protest in Montreal last Friday that descended into violence wasn’t just a failure of leadership from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre insists, it was yet another sign that the Liberal government is on its last legs. Speaking to The Gazette, the federal Conservative leader framed last week’s unrest as a symptom of a country unravelling under Trudeau’s nearly decade-long tenure. “It is another confirmation of how everything is broken after nine years of Trudeau’s radical woke agenda,” Poilievre said. The pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protest, which saw windows smashed and clashes with police, led to three arrests. Montreal police have indicated that more arrests are expected. It also came just before Trudeau’s attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, sparking uproar on social media. Trudeau condemned the protest on X on Saturday at noon. Speaking Monday at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal, he said violent protesters should be “pursued and punished.” “I must reiterate how deplorable it was to see the violence and demonstrations here in Montreal on Friday night,” Trudeau told approximately 300 NATO delegates. “We must ensure that the laws are respected and that there are consequences for all those responsible.” However, Poilievre accused Trudeau of neglecting his responsibilities during a moment of crisis. “I have no problem with him taking his kids to a concert. That’s everyone’s right,” Poilievre said. “But part of the job of being prime minister is you get called away from important family and other functions to do your job.” When asked if he would leave a concert under similar circumstances, Poilievre was unequivocal: “Yes.” “He has a travelling team that sets up an on-site office everywhere he goes. He should have said, ‘I’m going to put my friendship bracelets down, get my national security officials on the line, and discuss how we can respond to this chaos,’” Poilievre said. “Instead, he danced around.” Montreal police reported no antisemitic acts during Friday’s protest, but tensions had risen earlier in the week when a woman was filmed making Nazi salutes and invoking Holocaust rhetoric . Last week’s protests and political fallout come at a precarious time for the Liberals, whose standing in national polls has steadily eroded. Even in Liberal stronghold Montreal, local races appear more competitive. Recent polls show Conservative candidates closing in on traditionally secure Liberal ridings. In the Mount Royal constituency, Conservative Neil Oberman is now two points behind incumbent Liberal Anthony Housefather — the Liberals previously won this seat by more than 30 points in the last election. LaSalle—Émard—Verdun’s byelection last month saw Liberal candidate Laura Palestini, who lost to Bloc Québécois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé, avoid featuring Trudeau’s image in her campaign materials. Poilievre tied Trudeau’s declining popularity to a range of national issues, saying rising rent, crime, and protests like Friday’s have ruptured Trudeau’s image. Poilievre said he believes in a common-sense approach to preventing future unrest, emphasizing stricter immigration screening, tougher penalties for violent protesters, and stronger safeguards for places of worship. “I plan to ask Montrealers a question: You’ve given Justin Trudeau and the Liberals your total loyalty for over a decade. What have you got? It’s clear what he’s getting. He’s getting power. But what do you get as a Montrealer?” [email protected] Related 'We can't tolerate that': Second Cup boss fires Montreal franchisee over Nazi remarks Cars burned, windows smashed at pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO demonstration in Montreal