Anti-AI protest escalates to broken windows: Mila and ServiceNow offices vandalized in Montreal

Two neighboring buildings on the border of the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough and the Mile-Ex district were hit: the Quebec AI Institute Mila and an office of ServiceNow, which iXBT left unnamed. ServiceNow has operated in Montreal since 2020, when it acquired local AI startup Element AI. Police say about 10 people took part in the vandalism.

One arrest. Police detained a 25-year-old woman, questioned her on Wednesday, September 16, and released her without conditions or charges. Spokesperson Manuel Couture described the damage as follows: “The building’s windows were broken, and numerous graffiti tags were painted on the walls.”

This was not an isolated incident. From January to March 2026, opponents of data centers in the US blocked or delayed at least 75 projects worth about $130 billion, as many as in all of 2025 (Data Center Watch count, June 2026). There were 396 resistance groups at the end of 2025. By March 2026, the number had reached 833.

The vandalism came on the eve of ALL IN, Canada’s largest AI event. The summit took place September 16–17 at Montreal’s Palais des congrès; Mila is listed as a co-organizer, and institute founder Yoshua Bengio was announced as a speaker.

Mila condemned “any use of violence, property damage, and tactics of intimidation against our staff and researchers.” Bengio was more concise: “Violence is not the answer to these risks and fears, which I can understand.” Federal minister Evan Solomon said researchers’ safety must be protected.

The investigation is proceeding through surveillance-camera footage; as of September 20, no one has been charged.