Protesters opposed to all COVID-19-related public health restrictions and mandates have started to trickle into Quebec City and are planning to bring their message to the Quebec legislature this weekend under the watch of a heightened police presence.
The demonstration is a spin-off of the “Freedom Convoy” of truckers that arrived in Ottawa seven days ago that has since occupied the downtown core of the nation’s capital and caused havoc for nearby residents.
In Quebec City, Bernard “Rambo” Gauthier, a member of a heavy machinery union, and his supporters are preparing to start the protest Friday afternoon in front of the National Assembly, which is being guarded by officers with the Sûreté du Québec.
“At 5 p.m., it will begin and it won’t stop. It will be nonstop. At 5 p.m., everyone will be in front of the parliament,” said co-organizer Kevin Grenier in a Facebook Live video on Friday from the provincial capital stxjmtzywanding beside Gauthier.
“If you have questions about lodging and food, we have all that. We’re here for you.”
"We’re going to make this friendly… if Mr. Legault doesn’t understand after Carnival, we’ll use another time,” Grenier added.
In another video on Facebook, he said protesters would be reimbursed up to $300 for the cost of gas to drive to Quebec City.
It’s not clear how many protesters will show up but police say they will be ready. Heavy City of Quebec trucks have also already been strategically stationed on roads leading to the legislature building to prevent the trucks from parking in front of it.
Trucks parked in Quebec City on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, ahead of a demonstration against COVID-19 health restrictions. (CTV News)
Quebec Premier François Legault has said the group has a right to protest as long as it’s done peacefully, particularly with the start of the annual winter carnival beginning nearby the same day.
On Friday, the premier said there will be no zero tolerance for unlawful behaviour.
“The citizens in Quebec City can have a normal life in restaurants, at the Carnaval du Quebec. So far, it’s going well and I want to make sure it stays this way,” Legault said.
“I will not accept that we start insulting citizens at the entry of restaurants or whatever. We are very careful and there’s no tolerance.”
Friday morning was quiet in Quebec City, but organizers are getting a stage ready and have parked about five large trucks near the National Assembly so far as they wait for more people to arrive. The majority of the truckers and their supporters are expected to arrive Saturday morning.
As provincial police prepare for the demonstration to grow in the coming hours, next door in Ontario, local police are taking a different tone in their approach to the ongoing occupation.
Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly said at a news conference Friday morning that the police service will step up their response in a “surge and contain strategy” that includes an increase of 150 additional officers patrolling the streets and neighbourhoods in and around downtown.
“The hatred, violence, and illegal acts that Ottawa residents and businesses have endured over the last week is unacceptable in any circumstance,” Sloly said.
Federal public safety minister Marco Mendecino said the RCMP has granted a request from the City of Ottawa to provide additional officers to help contain the crowd.
A core group of protesters and several 100 trucks have remained in the city’s downtown since last weekend, with more expected to arrive Saturday.
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Trucks parked in Quebec City on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, ahead of a demonstration against COVID-19 health restrictions. (CTV News)
Quebec provincial police officers in front of the legislature, preparing for the arrival of demonstrators against measures taken by authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19, in Quebec City, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. A group of people coming from Sept-Iles, joined by people from Saguenay and the Beauce region are expected to gather until Saturday. The streets around the legislature have been blocked to stop trucks and motorists from blocking the surroundings as the Quebec Winter Carnival begins. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
