MONTREAL -- While masks have been mandatory for Quebec's indoor spaces for a week, some of the province's residents are protesting the rule.
On Saturday, demonstrators held an anti-mask demonstration on Mount-Royal and a similar event was held on Sunday in Quebec City.
Attendees said they believe they should have the choice to wear a mask and it shouldn't be up to the government to mandate their use. Others expressed skepticism and cited conspiracy theories about masks and, in some cases, the COVID-19 pandemic itself.
The overwhelming medical consensus is that wearing masks helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, with medical authorities such as the World Health Organization, Health Canada and the American Center for Disease Control all recommending the widespread usage of masks during the pandemic. Health authorities say it's not about protecting the mask-wearer, but rather protecting those around them.
Several incidents involving anti-maskers have gone viral, including a video of a passenger on an STM bus who was not wearing a mask attacking a passenger who was.
