A church is facing a $2,500 fine from the City of Montreal for hosting a July 25 worship service without a permit, an event that turned chaotic when anti-Christian protesters threw smoke bombs into the sanctuary.
Ministerios Restauración Church had invited American Christian musician and activist Sean Feucht as part of his “Revive in 25” tour. Revival tours are classic Christian events that always include worship music. City officials classified the gathering as a “concert,” requiring a special event permit, which they say the church failed to obtain.
City spokesperson Catherine Cadotte said the fine was issued for violating municipal bylaws regulating use of buildings and land for certain activities. The ticket cites “occupation of a lot, building, or land in a sector of use other than those provided for in the regulations.”
While the scene inside the church during the service was peaceful, with a few dozen worshippers singing and praying under the watch of a row of police officers, protests grew outside. According to Rebel News reporter Alexandra Lavoie, Feucht was met by protesters when arriving at the church, and one individual, now identified through video footage as a large man, threw two smoke bombs in at Feucht as he entered. One was detonated inside the building.
“Despite a police presence, the suspect was not detained,” Lavoie reported, adding that security video of the incident has now been made public. There appeared to be little interest in tracking down the suspect, as police seemed more focused on stopping Feucht from speaking.
The Democracy Fund, a Canadian constitutional rights charity, has taken up the church’s legal defense, arguing the fine is an infringement of religious freedom under both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
Mark Joseph, litigation director for the Democracy Fund, accused the city of acting in bad faith. “The state has apparently prejudged this matter, suggesting, improperly and without evidence, that peaceful Christian worshippers were engaged in hate speech. This is highly inappropriate,” Joseph said.
A spokesperson for Montreal’s mayor’s office defended the city’s stance, saying: “This show runs counter to the values of inclusion, solidarity, and respect that are championed in Montreal. Freedom of expression is one of our fundamental values, but hateful and discriminatory speech is not acceptable in Montreal.”
No arrest has been made of the person who threw the smoke bomb inside the church.
Feucht is the founder of the Let Us Worship movement. He ran as a Republican in California’s 3rd congressional district primary in 2020, losing in the primary to Tamika Hamilton.
The faster we distance ourselves from Canada, the better.