Latest news with #MaiAbdulhadi
CBC
28-04-2025
- CBC
Ex-Second Cup franchisee charged with uttering threats after antisemitic incident at protest
Social Sharing WARNING: The story below contains antisemitic remarks. A woman filmed making antisemitic remarks and performing a Nazi salute at a protest in Montreal in November has been charged with uttering threats. According to court documents, Mai Abdulhadi, 40, was charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, as well as threats to damage property. The alleged incident happened outside Concordia University on Nov. 21, 2024 and led to the termination of Abdulhadi's franchise agreement with Second Cup and the closure of the two café locations she operated at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital. The protest Abdulhadi allegedly attended was organized in the context of CEGEP and university students in Montreal striking and calling for Quebec post-secondary institutions to divest from companies with ties to Israel and urging the federal government to take a stance against the ongoing war in Gaza. After reviewing videos of the protest, Peter Mammas, the president and CEO of Foodtastic (which owns the Second Cup coffee chain), confirmed that the woman raising her arm in a Nazi salute and making antisemitic remarks was Abdulhadi, the franchisee involved. "The final solution is coming your way, the final solution. You know what the final solution is?" the woman can be heard saying in the video. The phrase is widely recognized for its association with Nazi Germany's plan to exterminate Jewish people. CBC viewed the videos, which had been circulated on social media. The allegations against Abdulhadi have yet to be proven in court.
Montreal Gazette
28-04-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Former Second Cup franchisee charged with making threats against 3 people
Montreal Crime A former Second Cup franchisee who was allegedly filmed making hateful remarks during a pro-Palestinian protest has been charged with making death threats. Mai Abdulhadi, 41, has been charged with threatening three individuals on Nov. 21. The charge sheet does not provide more details. That same day, Abdulhadi was filmed at a pro-Palestinian protest outside Concordia University, allegedly performing a Nazi salute while addressing pro-Israel counter-protesters. She also said: 'The final solution is coming your way — the final solution. You know what the final solution is?' The phrase, notorious for its association with Nazi Germany's plan to exterminate Jews, quickly sparked widespread outrage on social media. In response to the footage, Foodtastic, the parent company of Second Cup, identified Abdulhadi as the franchisee of two cafés at the Jewish General Hospital and closed the establishments. Speaking to The Gazette at the time, Peter Mamas, CEO of Foodtastic, recounted the moment he was informed of the incident: 'We found out at around 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon,' adding that he was at the cinema watching Gladiator II with his children. 'We quickly reviewed video evidence and spoke with employees to verify the allegations,' Mamas said. 'We talked to her as well. We basically said, 'Listen, we cannot allow this to happen.' After speaking with our lawyers, we issued a termination letter and prepared a press release.' Abdulhadi is now scheduled to appear in court on May 13 to face the charges. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) welcomed the charges in a statement on X. The group also called for greater action against radical ideologues and antisemitic factions that seek to disrupt Quebec's educational institutions and the broader public sphere. This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 5:36 PM.
