Low attendance so far at round-two of 'freedom' protests in Quebec City

Most Quebec City demonstrators have abandoned their posts in front of the National Assembly for what was supposed to kick off round-two of protests against COVID-19 health measures.

Protestors rolled into the snowy city Friday afternoon to begin another weekend of what some are calling the “Woodstock for Freedom,” an offshoot of the “freedom convoy” that began in Ottawa last month — but due to a low number of attendees, participants appear to have packed up for the night.

However, with the protest scheduled to pack the biggest punch on Saturday, more participants are expected to arrive in the morning. 

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, the opposite is true: as the protests rage on, police are stepping up their operations and say they’ve made over 100 arrests.

Demonstrators have occupied the nation’s capital for nearly three weeks now.

As far as Quebec City goes, it’s unclear how many protestors are expected to appear in the coming days. According to organizers, the weekend’s events are scheduled to include concerts, speeches, and even a meditation session.

Quebec City’s first round of protests took place a few weeks ago, with participants vowing to return for the weekend of Feb. 18.

This time around, the city’s police have been granted further power to close streets as a preventative measures, if necessary.

During Quebec’s initial four-day demonstration, police made three arrests and handed out 170 tickets.

MNA and former police officer Ian Lafreniere said unlike in Ottawa, he expects Quebec City’s gathering to be better controlled.

“This is completely different. In Quebec, we’re used to protests. In Montreal, for example it’s between 1,000 and 1,500 protests a year."