Quebec to issue $1,000 fines for breaking red zone rules with accelerated search warrants

In a press conference this evening, Quebec Premier François Legault and Public Safety Minister Geneviève Guilbault made an announcement about how red zone rules will be enforced in Montreal and other “red” regions of the province. Legault said that $1,000 fines (per person) will be issued to people throwing parties in their homes and to people not wearing masks at protests.

“If you have a party in your own home, you are not complying with the law and you’re putting everybody’s lives at risk. When this occurs, police will be able to give them a fine. There are people who will collaborate and accept to opening their door, but if a person doesn’t want to open their door, police officers will be able to obtain a warrant from a judge the same night in order to be able to give a ticket.

“Police officers are not going to start knocking on doors at random,” he added. “This is not a witch hunt. We will do this only if there are reasons to believe there is non-compliance with the law.”

Legault also said that police are being told to disperse any gatherings in parks or other outdoor public spaces.

Guilbault, when asked about whether harsher measures like tear gas may be applied at anti-mask rallies, said that the hope is that antimaskers will be deterred from breaking the rules, but that if that proves to be ineffective, other measures will be considered. ■

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