Group of Laval high-school students take off masks in COVID-19 protest, picket on sidewalk
At least 50 students at a Laval high school took part in a protest against COVID-19 rules that got briefly heated, and was captured on video, on Thursday.
The students at Laval Senior Academy were upset about the requirement to wear masks and that they're only allowed to eat in their school's cafeteria, said Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board spokesperson Maxeen Jolin.
The students protested in the morning and then outside during the lunch hour. A video posted to Facebook showed a rowdy group of teenagers shouting in a school hallway at a masked adult.
In a letter to parents on Thursday afternoon, the school's principal explained that the protest was mostly "peaceful" but that a few students needed to have their families contacted and disciplinary measures taken.
"Today, several students left class during period 2, to participate in a protest to express their concerns about the current sanitary measures (mainly the wearing of the mask) at school," wrote principal Nathalie Rollin.
The students "congregated outside" on the sidewalk of Souvenir Blvd., carrying signs. School administrators called police for help, but the protest was under control and most students went back to class and went on with their day, Rollin wrote.
"By the end of recess, most students returned inside the school," she wrote.
"While most students went back to class, others continued walking in the hallways which caused a short disruption at the beginning of the next period. Some students were escorted outside by the administration and the police to listen to their concerns and the reasons behind this protest."
The school board put the group about 50, but some who participated said it was at least 200 at its biggest point.
The teens aren't happy about the mask restrictions back in place for their age group, which require them to wear face coverings everywhere in the school except for the cafeteria, the school board said.
Rollin wrote that they complained "they find it challenging to wear the mask at all times and find it difficult to only have the cafeteria as an option to eat their lunch.
"The cold weather and the fact that restaurants are closed add to their frustration," she wrote.
The school told them it must respect public health rules, including for their own safety, but that it will find "alternate solutions" to the lunchtime issue "so that students can eat in more areas of the school."
She didn't go into detail about what kind of disruption happened inside the school.
"Parents of some students needed to be contacted as some disciplinary measures had to be applied for a minority of students that acted inappropriately," she wrote.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.