In response to Premier Legault’s tax on the unvaxxed, several Montreal businesses are planning a ‘no restrictions, no passport, no QR-code’ protest for Sunday, January 30.
During the protest, the participating businesses plan to flout all lockdown rules. That means there will be no checking people’s papers, no scanning QR-codes, no capacity limits, no social distancing. None of that.
RESISTANCE:
On January 30th, several Montreal businesses/restaurants are opening at FULL CAPACITY & WITHOUT screening for vaccination status in protest of the government's draconian lockdown measures. pic.twitter.com/vLCIl1cX8O
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) January 18, 2022
According to political commentator Lauren Chen, the following businesses have already signed up, and many more will likely join:
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Café-teria Europa at Tour A, 1600 Boul Saint-Martin Est, Laval
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Kesté at 275 Av. Fairmount O, Montréal
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And every single restaurant at St-Houblon
Currently, Quebec has the worst lockdown policies and restrictions in Canada to date easily.
At the time of writing, the government has just removed the 8 p.m. curfew (which was in place because the virus apparently wakes up around that time), restaurants cannot open their dining rooms and patrons are forced to eat outside, gyms and theatres are closed, and what is open, excluding grocery stores and government buildings, requires proof-of-vaccination to access.
But what appears to be the tipping point for many is Premier Francois Legault’s announcement of a fine for all those who remain unvaccinated for no other reason than their refusal to comply.
Quebec announces fines for people who don’t take the vaccine. Like Cuba, Canada has government run-health care so there is nowhere for vaccine refugees to go. This suggests they will be banned from receiving health care. This violates the Hippocratic oath. pic.twitter.com/uWMsxu83hh
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) January 11, 2022
“The vaccine is the key to fight[ing] the virus,” Legault said during a news conference last week. “This is why we’re looking for a health contribution for adults who refuse to be vaccinated for non-medical reasons.”
“Those who refuse to receive their first dose in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution.”
“… All Quebec adults who refuse in the coming weeks to at least get a first dose will be getting a bill,” he said.
While Legault has yet to specify the severity of these fines, the decision to push this policy forward, or even to consider it, has drawn the ire of many, including the mainstream media and even several premiers.
“I am very concerned about the announcement that the government of Quebec intends in principle to pursue a tax of some kind, a special health levy or charge on the unvaccinated individuals,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said during a news conference on January 17.
“… Does anybody who is overweight, do we put everybody on a weight scale and determine based on their weight that they have to pay extra to access the healthcare system,” Kenney asked rhetorically, bringing up the obvious hypocrisy of penalizing people on one specific decision which may or may not impact their own health.
You wouldn’t know it based on the lack of coverage done by the mainstream media, but Quebecers have been protesting almost weekly throughout the pandemic. Each time they do, their efforts are met by a strong police presence.
Montreal Police arrested everyone at the protest against Covid curfew. Look at all the police resources they spent for this!
Watch till the end!
Go to : https://t.co/sJH1IVqtus
With @Yanky_Pollak and @RoyGuillaume13 @RebelNewsOnline pic.twitter.com/9d0o6MdhKl
— Alexa Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) January 6, 2022
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that this time will be any different, and it is expected that those business owners participating in the protest will be heavily reprimanded if not outright arrested.
