DEVELOPING BMO online service outages reported by customers
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
French politicians are deeply divided over the fate of lawmaker Andy Kerbrat, caught last week buying synthetic drugs, and whether his breaking the law should push him to resign.
Kerbrat, of the far-left France Unbowed party, acknowledged the facts via a statement on X on Tuesday, asking his electors for forgiveness and blaming his personal drug consumption on 鈥減ersonal problems and psychological fragilities.鈥
The 34 year-old also said he 鈥渨ill fight against his addiction鈥 and 鈥渇ollow a treatment protocol鈥 before resuming his parliamentary activity.
Kerbrat was not arrested and was heard at the police station where he went freely the following day.
Leftist lawmakers came to the rescue, embracing Kerbrat's argument that his personal use is, before all else, the symptom of a greater public health issue.
France Unbowed party leader Jean-Luc M茅lenchon on X expressed his 鈥渧ery friendly support" to the fight against addiction.
Sen. Melanie Vogel of the Greens party wished the congressman 鈥済ood luck鈥 for his treatment, stressing that 鈥渄rug use and addictions have always been public health issues." She also criticized the nation's tendency to 鈥渁lways go for repression instead of what matters most: care.鈥
Sandrine Rousseau, also a Greens lawmaker, told reporters that she didn't think Kerbrat should resign. People who use synthetic drugs, she said, are often 鈥渇ragile鈥 and "sometimes with psychological problems.鈥
Others strongly disagree.
France's conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called on Kerbrat to 鈥渄raw the consequences of his actions鈥.
鈥淎 deputy has a duty to set an example,鈥 Retailleau wrote on X. "While drug crimes take hold in France, with its procession of violence, it is not tolerable to see a lawmaker buying synthetic drugs from a street dealer.鈥
Laurent Jacobelli, another lawmaker from The Republicans party, said that while Kerbrat might be in need of treatment, 鈥渉e is above all guilty, he violated the law, and for someone who is supposed to write it, it is rather embarrassing.鈥
Opinion pieces in several media outlets also criticized what they see as an inappropriate defense strategy.
French magazine Marianne recalled Kerbrat's recent stance in the media on drug trafficking and its consequences.
A few days before the incident, Kerbrat had signed an online petition calling for the new government 鈥渢o take urgent and specific measures鈥 and address a 鈥済rowing phenomenon.鈥
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
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