6 arrested, 192 tickets issued in second night of curfew protests in Montreal

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Montreal police arrested six people and handed out 192 tickets for infractions of COVID-19 health regulations Monday night during a second evening of protests against Montreal’s government-ordered 8 p.m. curfew.

Police on Tuesday morning said five people were arrested on allegations of obstructing police officers while a sixth person was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

A total of 192 tickets were issued for health-regulation violations, while 17 general infraction reports were submitted to the Crown prosecutor’s office to determine whether charges should be laid.

One police officer was reported slightly injured in clashes with protesters, which saw a demonstration planned for Old Montreal drift up into the city’s downtown core after far fewer protesters showed up than the previous evening.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to social media Tuesday to thank police for their quick reaction to Monday night’s protest, noting that while the right to protest is fundamental, “it is possible to exercise it calmly. … No mayhem is tolerated and our merchants do not deserve it.”

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On Sunday night, a far larger protest in Old Montreal saw vandals damage and sometimes loot neighbourhood stores and set fire to trash cans and city benches. That incident led to quick condemnation from municipal and provincial politicians who called upon Quebecers to remain peaceful even if they opposed the curfew order.

Quebec has faced strong criticism for implementing a curfew at all, and that resentment increased when Premier François Legault announced that it would be moved back to 8 p.m. in Montreal and Laval. With the arrival of spring, the 8 p.m. curfew means Montrealers will soon have to be indoors before dark. The curfew lifts at 5 a.m.

Those against the measure say there’s no proof it has any impact on reducing COVID-19 cases.

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On Monday, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé tweeted that a Google study of the curfew showed an immediate decrease in nighttime mobility in Quebec when it was implemented, which he said reduces contacts by extension.

According to a survey by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec from the end of March, before the curfew was rolled back to 8 p.m., nearly 70 per cent of Quebecers said they were in favour of having the curfew in place over the next few weeks.

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