SPVM suppresses World Cup celebrations in Petit Maghreb w/ Nashwa Lina Khan

Who gets to celebrate publicly in Montréal?
After Morocco’s victory over Canada in the FIFA World Cup on July 4, thousands of people gathered in Petit Maghreb to celebrate. But instead of simply directing traffic or managing crowds, the SPVM deployed dozens of officers in riot gear, alongside mounted police, into the heart of the North African neighbourhood near the Saint-Michel metro station.

In this episode of Local 514, host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks with Moroccan-Pakistani community educator, researcher, and Habibti Please host Nashwa Lina Khan, who was present during the celebrations. She describes witnessing police corralling supporters, ordering people to disperse, and maintaining an overwhelming presence even though the festivities remained largely peaceful.

Together, they examine what happened that night and explore the larger questions it raises about policing, belonging, and public space in Québec. Why are some communities’ celebrations treated as a public safety concern while others are embraced? How does anti-Muslim racism shape law enforcement methods? And who ultimately has the right to celebrate—and take up space—in Montréal’s streets?

Nashwa describes what she saw, and questions how islamophobia in quebec extends into the limitation of celebration by muslims. Who has the right to the city?  Who is allowed to celebrate? and who does the police not want out in the streets to express joy?