Thousands march in Montreal in protest of COVID-19 health measures

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Thousands marched in Montreal on Saturday to protest COVID-19 public health measures they call excessive and unjustified.

Demonstrators gathered at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, calling on the Quebec government to lift a nighttime curfew that has been in place in much of the province since January.

They also expressed opposition towards the notion of immunity passport for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.


People take part in a demonstration opposing the Quebec government’s measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal, Saturday, May 1, 2021.


THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes


People take part in a demonstration opposing the Quebec government’s measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal, Saturday, May 1, 2021.


THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes


People hug as they take part in a demonstration opposing the Quebec government’s health measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal, Saturday, May 1, 2021.


THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes


People take part in a demonstration opposing the Quebec government’s measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal, Saturday, May 1, 2021.


THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

The stadium currently serves as one of the province’s COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics and was closed for the day due to the protest.

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Health Minister Christian Dubé said Friday that appointments had been transferred to other clinics in the city.

READ MORE: Quebec redirects COVID vaccinations from Olympic Stadium due to weekend protest

He said the other clinics had the capacity to honour appointments scheduled at the stadium but deplores the fact protesters are choosing to demonstrate outside the mass vaccination site.

“People have a right to their opinion, but I think they could have left those who are getting vaccinated alone,” Dubé said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Friday the planned protest is “deeply disappointing.” Freedom of speech and assembly are important, especially during a pandemic, but protests must be done safely, he added.

“The irony here is that by gathering, people are putting each other at risk, spreading further cases of COVID-19, and extending the time in which we will have to be faced with restrictions and public health measures,” Trudeau said.

The organizers said in a statement that Saturday’s protest was the first of several planned for the month of May.

Quebec reported 1,101 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, with one taking place in the past 24 hours.

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–with files from Alessia Maratta, Global News

© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.