A Bloc Québécois member of Parliament says he was assaulted and pepper-sprayed this week while in Brussels for a NATO parliamentary assembly meeting.

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, who represents the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, posted on social media that three people jumped him in the street around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and stole his watch.

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Savard-Tremblay says he fought back and shouted loudly in hopes of alerting people nearby but the individuals managed to knock him to the ground.

The MP says other people on the street gave him water and he went to the police station to report what happened.

He says he also notified security at the House of Commons and the embassy in Brussels.

Savard-Tremblay says he was not injured but is warning people to be extremely cautious when travelling abroad.

The Quebec government joined Montreal’s business and political leaders to bolster the city’s candidacy to become the global headquarters for the proposed international Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB).

Premier François Legault lauded Montreal as the bank’s potential home as he participated in an event alongside Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and National Bank president Laurent Ferreira.

The defence bank, spearheaded by NATO countries, is meant to reduce borrowing costs for military spending by pooling credit strength.

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Quebec politicians and business leaders describe Montreal as the perfect city to host the new bank given that it is already an aerospace hub and hosts other international organizations.

The premier told a news conference that they want to speak with one voice to urge the federal government to choose Quebec.

Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa are also actively lobbying to host the bank’s headquarters, which comes with an estimated 3,500 jobs.

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BC premier David Eby pitches Vancouver as home for global defence bank