Quebec law to limit anti-vaxxer protests at hospitals, schools to be tabled today

Quebec Deputy Premier and Public Safety Minister Geneviève Guilbault will be introducing a bill in the National Assembly today that will limit anti-vaxxer protests at hospitals and other health care facilities as well as schools. The bill would establish stiff fines for those who protest outside health and educations facilities. Quebec Premier François Legault wrote about the issue on social media today.

“I understand that it is difficult to restrict the right to protest, but frankly, there are limits.

“What is perhaps most shocking to me is to imagine how our nurses must be feeling when they see this. These women and men have been giving body and soul for months to treat COVID patients despite very difficult working conditions. A good number of these patients have been hospitalized precisely because they refused the vaccine. And leaving their workplace, the nurses see protesters shouting at them that the vaccine does not work.

“We’re not going to accept that. At a time when there is a dire shortage of nurses in our health care network, we cannot allow a handful of radicals to make their lives even more difficult.”

—François Legault

Legault went on to say that he’s counting on the cooperation of all members of the House to ensure quick passage of the bill. Yesterday it was reported that Conservative MNA Claire Samson (who left the CAQ this summer), may stall the bill “for days or even weeks” due to concerns about limiting the right to protest.

Aujourd’hui, le gouv. dépose un PL qui va encadrer les manifestations anti-vaccins près de nos écoles, garderies, hôpitaux & cliniques de vaccination. C’est @GGuilbaultCAQ qui va le présenter.
On compte sur l’appui de tous les députés.
Pour me lire????https://t.co/jeQ9TrOhfw pic.twitter.com/bvKvzwmkVh

— François Legault (@francoislegault) September 23, 2021

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