{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/crown-withdraws-charges-against-montreal-bank-protesters","slug":"crown-withdraws-charges-against-montreal-bank-protesters","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/crown-withdraws-charges-against-montreal-bank-protesters","title":"Crown withdraws charges against Montreal bank protesters","subtitle":"14 demonstrators pleaded guilty to noise bylaw violation and paid fines to end legal action.","excerpt":"Criminal mischief charges against 14 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at a Montreal Scotiabank sit-in have been withdrawn. The demonstrators pleaded guilty to a noise bylaw violation and paid $300 fines to resolve the case.","category":"Politics","area":null,"publishedAt":"2026-10-26T23:45:47.412Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-10-26T22:53:13.602Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-27T00:00:08.114Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":68,"critic":95,"hype":15,"notes":{"trust":"Trust 68 – includes named sources and official filing, but only one outlet and no multiple independent reports.","critic":"Critic 95 – explains relevance, quotes many parties, provides specific data, notes unknowns, and remains clear.","hype":"Hype 15 – language is measured with no sensationalism."}},"tags":["#ProtestLaw","#FreedomOfSpeech","#Montreal","#Scotiabank","#ElbitSystems"],"entities":["Crown","Scotiabank","Elbit Systems","Mara Farrokh","Barbara Bedont","Eli Tareq","Harar Hall"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Criminal mischief charges were withdrawn against 14 protesters arrested at a Montreal Scotiabank sit-in.","The protesters pleaded guilty to violating a municipal noise bylaw and paid $300 fines.","The sit-in occurred in April 2024, with protesters demanding the bank divest from Elbit Systems.","Scotiabank's subsidiary sold its remaining shares in Elbit Systems in February, a move protesters called a victory."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Crown withdrew criminal mischief charges against 14 pro-Palestinian protesters on Monday. The resolution came after the defendants agreed to plead guilty to violating a municipal noise bylaw and pay $300 fines each. These 14 individuals were among 44 people arrested in April 2024 during a sit-in at a Scotiabank branch. Their protest aimed to pressure the bank to divest from Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"During April hearings, a manager at the Scotiabank branch testified that the protesters did not threaten anyone or damage property. Defence lawyer Barbara Bedont stated that most other protesters had resolved their cases through community service. Bedont argued that the remaining defendants had a strong constitutional case and that criminalising peaceful sit-ins threatened freedom of expression."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The case concluded months after Scotiabank's investment management subsidiary, 1832 Asset Management, disclosed in February that it had sold its remaining shares in Elbit Systems. Protesters viewed this sale as a victory for their campaign. Protester Mara Farrokh alleged that security camera footage shown in court depicted officers in riot gear stepping on a protester, but this footage has not been independently verified."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on footage verification"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Protester Mara Farrokh alleged that security camera footage showed officers in riot gear stepping on a protester, a claim that has not been independently verified. The Canadian Press has not viewed the footage described by Farrokh. CBC News reported that the allegations have not been independently verified."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No centre- or right-rated outlets covered this story, according to the provided material. The left-rated report did not include details on the total number of people arrested beyond the 44 mentioned, nor did it specify the exact date of the sit-in beyond April 2024."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"CBC News","url":"https://cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/criminal-charges-withdrawn-montreal-protesters-9.7396880","headline":"Crown withdraws criminal charges against Montreal protesters arrested at bank sit","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T22:53:13.602Z"},{"sourceName":"Bowen Island Undercurrent","url":"https://bowenislandundercurrent.com/national-business/crown-withdraws-criminal-charges-against-montreal-protesters-arrested-at-bank-sit-in-12940736","headline":"Crown withdraws criminal charges against Montreal protesters arrested at bank sit-in","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T21:01:37.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Western 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Presse","url":"https://lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2026-10-26/sit-in-dans-une-banque-scotia/les-manifestants-ecopent-d-une-amende.php","headline":"“Sit in” at a Scotiabank","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T18:11:31.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Narcity","url":"https://narcity.com/montreal/montreal-sit-in-case-ends-with-fines","headline":"Crown withdraws criminal charges against Montreal protesters arrested at bank sit-in","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T17:10:13.000Z"},{"sourceName":"mtlblog.com","url":"https://mtlblog.com/montreal-sit-in-case-ends-with-fines","headline":"Crown withdraws criminal charges against Montreal protesters arrested at bank sit-in","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T17:10:13.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Loonie Politics","url":"https://looniepolitics.com/crown-withdraws-criminal-charges-against-montreal-protesters-arrested-at-bank-sit-in","headline":"Crown withdraws criminal charges against Montreal protesters arrested at bank 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It highlighted the protesters' demand for Scotiabank to divest from Elbit Systems and framed the resolution as an end to a legal battle raising questions about the right to demonstrate. The report quoted protester Eli Tareq stating, “We want to make sure people can continue to fight things like this.” It also quoted Harar Hall saying, “We set out to pressure a Canadian bank to stop profiting from genocide, and in that case we won.” The report detailed protester Mara Farrokh's allegations of excessive police force, stating she claimed security camera footage showed officers in riot gear stepping on a protester, though this was not independently verified. CBC News also noted that protesters filed a complaint against the judge, alleging bias and unacceptable behaviour."],"centre":["All three centre outlets reported that the Crown withdrew every criminal charge linked to a pro‑Palestinian sit‑in at a downtown Montreal bank. 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Their summaries focus solely on the charge withdrawal, the number arrested, the fourteen noise‑bylaw pleas and the $300 fines, and the lawyer’s comment on prior community‑service resolutions."],"right":[],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"high":6,"unknown":3,"veryHigh":6},"ownershipDistribution":{"telecom":1,"privateEquity":4,"mediaConglomerate":2,"government":1,"independent":2},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Winnipeg Free Press","url":"https://winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2026/10/26/crown-withdraws-criminal-charges-against-montreal-protesters-arrested-at-bank-sit-in","publishedAt":"2026-10-26T12:09:33.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Canada","count":2},{"country":"Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Niagara Falls, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario, 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