Members of the National Assembly have reopened the debate on the right to demonstrate with a mask.
Here are a few facts:
1) In winter in Quebec, wearing a face covering is not out of the ordinary. Even the police wear them during demonstrations. Debates and the adoption of anti-mask laws are always held in the summer.
2) There are plenty of reasons why a person who is peacefully demonstrating would not want to have his face filmed and lose their anonymity. For example, demonstrating against capitalism could result in the loss of a job at a financial institution, or a police officer demonstrating against police brutality could lose his or her job.
3) The courts have already ruled and we have a constitutional right to wear a mask during demonstrations.
4) The Criminal Code already prohibits the wearing of masks to commit a criminal act.
PQ, CAQ and QLP MPs are wasting their time on this issue. Even if they do not like the principle of seeing demonstrators wearing masks, this right is protected.
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Quebec
