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Concordia University Netanyahu riot: what Wikipedia removed

A 2002 riot at Concordia University shut down a scheduled Netanyahu speech, during which protesters subjected attendees to antisemitic slogans and physical attacks, including kicking a Holocaust survivor. Through 2015 the opening said someone “later accused the activists of supporting terrorism and ‘mad zealotry.’” Today the opening carries the word zero times, though terror survives once in the body. A reader arriving now does not learn that an accusation of supporting terrorism, and not just disruptive protest, was leveled at the activists who shut the event down.

The word “terror” appeared 1 times in this article’s opening at its peak, in 2015. Today the opening carries none; the body carries 1. Checked against the full current article on 2026-08-01.

The tracked words, snapshot by snapshot

Section titled “The tracked words, snapshot by snapshot”
word201520206 October 20232025
terror1110
antisemitism1110
occupation0100

Counts are of the opening paragraph only, the part most readers, search engines and AI training sets ever quote.

What was taken out

Section titled “What was taken out”
  • The identification of the event by name and the timeline connecting it to the campus visit is gone from the opening, leaving only a generic account.
  • The detail that Montreal police and protesters together forced the visit’s cancellation is gone from the opening.
  • The account of attendees being escorted to the auditorium where the Netanyahu lecture was to take place is gone from the opening.
  • The finding that protesters subjected attendees to antisemitic slogans and physical attacks is gone from the opening.
  • The detail that a named Holocaust survivor, Thomas Hecht, was kicked by protesters is gone from the opening.
  • The account of ticket holders being escorted into the Hall building shortly before the violence is gone from the opening.

How it opened then, and now

Section titled “How it opened then, and now”

2015 (revision 661948079):

The Concordia University Netanyahu riot occurred on September 9, 2002, as a result of a scheduled visit from the then former (and now current) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . The visit was cancelled after Montreal police (SPVM) and pro- Palestinian protestors clashed inside the Henry F. Hall Building at Concordia University . For the duration of the standoff, ticket-holders pushed their way through a thick crowd of protesters and police outside the building, entering the Hall building through a secured access point complete with metal detector . They were then escorted to the auditorium where the lecture was to take place. Ticket holders later complained that the protesters had s…

2025 (revision 1294905256):

2002 pro-Palestinian demonstration in Montreal, Canada Casualties Arrested 5, including Aaron Maté On September 9, 2002, a riot broke out at the Sir George Williams Campus of Concordia University in Montreal , Quebec , in anticipation of a visit from former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu . The visit, to be held at noon in the Henry F. Hall Building , was cancelled after pro-Palestinian students attacked people who were attempting to attend the event and hear Netanyahu’s speech. Netanyahu had been invited by the Jewish student organization Hillel . Several hundred demonstrators blocked the event’s attendees from entering the building. The incident took place amidst the Second Intif…

Section titled “Related”

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