Under the dubious gaze of merchants and residents, hundreds of demonstrators stormed the streets of the city of L’Assomption on Saturday to denounce the health measures of the Legault government during the pandemic.
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“Freedom for our children! Legault in prison!”, intoned Mylène Hébert, the organizer of the event entitled “Dehors la CAQ”, on Saturday at the head of a colorful tide of sympathizers.
Photo QMI Agency, Laurent Corbeil
Many demonstrators denounced the thousands of deaths in CHSLDs this Saturday.
Many convoys of vehicles from the four corners of the province converged on the Lanaudière region to demonstrate in front of the offices of the Premier and outgoing MP for L’Assomption, François Legault.
Flanked by Canadian and Quebec flags, they made sure to announce their arrival with honking.
The march, which began in the afternoon at Paul-Arseneau high school, had between 850 and 1,000 people in the middle of the afternoon, said the mayor of L’Assomption, Sébastien Nadeau.
Against the measures
The citizens met by Le Journal all said that their presence was motivated by the decisions taken by the Quebec government during the pandemic.
“My mother, for six months I was not able to see her [en CHSLD]says Danielle Castonguay. [François Legault] restricted us in everything.”
“The three confinements that Mr. Legault made, it was catastrophic for our children”, adds Montrealer Kim Leduc.
The demonstrators also stopped in front of the CHSLD L’Assomption, calling for “justice for our elders”. Saddened, many left bouquets of flowers.
Be on the look-out
Meanwhile, several merchants on boulevard de l’Ange-Gardien, in the city center, wanted to keep their doors open, despite fears of overflows.
“There is a shortfall which is still significant. Weekends are still good days for us,” says Florence Guillochon, manager of the Brûlerie des Anges café.
“We have lost enough with COVID,” adds Karine Gendron, owner of the Reina pizzeria.
Dissatisfaction
On the side of the residents, many did not hide their dissatisfaction with the demonstration.
“I have nothing against Legault. He did his job, he did what he had to do [durant la pandémie]insisted Marie, sitting on a bench on the boulevard de l’Ange-Gardien.
“It was global,” adds Guylaine, lamenting that his municipality is associated with the event.
Mayor Nadeau was satisfied, in the afternoon, with the behavior of visitors.
“It’s framed, people demonstrate respectfully,” he pointed out.
The Sûreté du Québec and the L’Assomption/St-Sulpice police department reported no overflow.