Montrealers are at another protest
Townspeople expressed their dissatisfaction with the current quarantine measures.
On the evening of April 11, thousands of Montrealers came out to protest. Canadians were unhappy about the curfew imposed on the city.
The protest started peacefully in the central square of the city. Most of the participants were young people who danced to music, launched fireworks and chanted "Freedom to the Young". But then some demonstrators lit bonfires and began throwing objects through windows, which escalated into clashes with police, who used tear gas. This was followed by garbage cans being set on fire and local shops and restaurants having their windows smashed. Not only businesses but also city property was damaged.
A 20:00 curfew was imposed in the province of Quebec back in January. It was later moved to 9:30 p.m. in some cities, including Montreal, and abolished in some. However, last week, provincial Premier François Legault said he was forced to bring back the 8 p.m. curfew because of a surge in COVID-19 diseases and the spread of more infectious strains. The new curfew went into effect as of the evening of 11 April.
On Sunday, when the protest took place, there were more than 1,500 new cases of infection and 5 deaths in Quebec. The number of hospitalizations rose to 608, with 139 patients in intensive care units. The provincial health minister, Christine Dubet, wrote on Twitter that 58% of the cases are people under 40.
According to preliminary estimates, police arrested 7 people during the demonstration and issued 107 fines for public health violations. Curfew violators can face fines of $1,000 to $6,000 CAD and demonstrators between 14 and 18 years old can face fines of $500 CAD.
On the morning of the 12th, many business owners became fellow unfortunates, discovering broken windows of their stores, signs of break-ins, foreign objects, and some with missing merchandise. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante acknowledged the rights of Montrealers to protest, but called the vandalism unacceptable.
"It should be within the rules. Smashing the windows of stores and restaurants whose owners are already making ends meet after a tough year? I think it's unacceptable," Plante said.
And the day before the mass demonstration, on 10 April, several hundred parents and children protested against public health measures in schools. The discontent was caused by the need to wear masks in schools. The demonstration was organized by the Collectif Parents Québec (Collectif Parents Québec). The Collectif emphasises that it does not deny the existence of a pandemic, but that the government can find more effective measures than forcing children to wear masks.
