‘We’re not intimidated’: Molotov cocktail thrown inside Montreal restaurant – Montreal

A downtown Italian restaurant was the target of an attempted arson Thursday, according to Montreal police.

The front bay window of La Médusa, located on Drummond Street near Ste-Catherine Street, was shattered shortly after 1:30 a.m.

Security footage shows a man smashing the glass with a large brick before tossing a Molotov cocktail inside the establishment. Police say he fled on foot.

The flames were quickly extinguished by Montreal firefighters.

According to the owners, the damage to the restaurant is minor.

“A couple of chairs were burned,” La Médusa co-owner Joe D’Adderio said.

The case has been transferred to the Montreal police arson squad, which are investigating the incident.

Normally used as a form of intimidation or extortion, similar cases of targeted fire bombings have been on the rise in the past few months in Montreal, according to police.

The number of fire bombing cases jumped by 42 per cent in the past five years, with more than 530 incidents reported last year alone.

1:24
Montreal police force unveils new strategy to fight crime