Convoys arrive in Quebec City for protest against COVID-19 measures
CBC
As more trucks and smaller vehicles pour into Quebec City from across the province for a protest against COVID-19 restrictions, Quebec City police are directing traffic to try to prevent the demonstration from turning into a blockade.
While protesters have been holding smaller demonstrations since Thursday evening, larger crowds are gathering today around the National Assembly.
Convoys of drivers have been arriving from different parts of the province including the North Shore, Lower St-Lawrence, Saguenay and Beauce regions.
Crowds of protesters, including some families with children, have been cheering and waving signs calling for the end of vaccine passports and other public health measures, as rows of vehicles drive by the National Assembly honking their horns.
Protesters flying Canadian and Quebec flags and "freedom" signs from their cars followed a convoy of heavy trucks into the city from Saint-Lambert de Lauzon on the south shore. They were met by some cheering supporters on overpasses on Hwy 73.
A small group of counter protesters is also in the area around the National Assembly, with some of them encouraging drivers to honk if they have been vaccinated.
Quebec officials have said while protesters have a right to demonstrate, they will not tolerate vehicles blocking roads.
Quebec City Police (SPVQ) handed out more than 50 tickets during smaller demonstrations on Thursday and Friday evening, mostly for road safety violations.
In a Tweet Friday, the SPVQ emphasized that nobody is allowed to camp or take shelter — including staying in campers or trailers — near the National Assembly or other public places.
Bernard Gauthier, one of the protest organizers, criticized police Friday for being too strict about where vehicles are allowed to go, adding that a food truck intended to serve protesters was prevented from parking near the demonstration.
Mayor Bruno Marchand said Friday that police were allowing a few large trucks to park on René-Lévesque Boulevard as a "compromise" because the trucks were an "important symbol" to the protesters.
Marchand says there will be zero tolerance for anyone harrassing the public, but added he is not worried about protests getting out of hand.
Premier François Legault said Friday that authorities were ready for any eventuality, and that tow trucks were on hand to remove trucks, if necessary.
Some streets in the area are restricted to pedestrians only. Honoré-Mercier Avenue is closed off to vehicle traffic, between Grande Allée and René-Lévesque boulevards, as is Grande Allée between de Claire-Fontaine Street and Honoré-Mercier Boulevard.
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