Quebec provincial police are expected to hand out thousands of dollars in fines to attendants of an anti-lockdown party in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge which took place over the weekend.
“We have the right to be reunited,” said Karol La Louv Tardif, an organizer of the party.
About 30 people attended, and at least 15 are expected to receive fines. In videos posted to social media, attendees are seen without masks and not respecting social distancing protocols.
A video of the event was posted to social media. In the video, a group of people can be seen counting down before shouting “f*** you Legault.”
“We put the video up to make people react,” said La Louv. “Actually, it worked.”
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge is a part of the Laurentians region, about an hour and a half from Montreal. It's considered a yellow zone, meaning a maximum of six people are allowed to gather indoors.
Organizers said they got together to protest the limit on gatherings.
“It’s not a decision about public health, it’s a political decision,” said another organizer, Steeve L'Artiss Charland, in a video on social media.
Steeve Charland, an organizer of the an anti-lockdown party in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge. (Source: Facebook)
On the day of the party, the Laurentians region had recorded 73 new cases of COVID-19.
Over 340 people have died in the area since the start of the pandemic.
Police were called to the house on Saturday evening to break the party up.
"We know that the people know the rules.” Said Marc Tessier, a spokesperson with the Sûreté du Québec. We've been talking about those rules for about 9 or 10 months."
Police took names of the attendees. No tickets were handed out on the spot, but they are expected to come soon.
