Montreal police officers entered the courtyard of Maisonneuve Elementary School in the Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve neighbourhood at around 7:00 p.m. on August 7, 2026 and ordered three preadolescent players to leave a soccer game they were conducting there. The action involved two patrol cars and a team of five officers who approached the youths while they were in the middle of the match.
The three children, described as preteens, were playing soccer on the school’s outdoor area when the police presence arrived. Officers instructed the group to stop and to vacate the courtyard, effectively ending the game. The youths complied and left the premises following the officers’ directives.
A neighbor, identified as Noam Arbaoui, was present in the vicinity at the time of the incident. While details of Arbaoui’s involvement have not been disclosed, his presence was noted as part of the broader context in which the police interaction occurred.
The incident took place in the Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve area, a part of Montreal where the police response included the deployment of two patrol vehicles and a total of five officers. The officers’ decision to intervene and remove the three preadolescents from the schoolyard was carried out without further reported escalation. No additional information about the reasons for the police action or any subsequent steps has been released.
The event marks a notable example of police activity in a public school setting, highlighting the presence of law‑enforcement resources in response to activities occurring on school property during evening hours.