In anticipation of the anti-sanitary measures demonstration brewing in the capital on Saturday, the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ) advises that it will not tolerate any illegal action.
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The police set out their expectations of the protesters and indicated their intentions for their interventions on Saturday in a press release which was published at 8 a.m.
Police forces will be very present on the ground, in the area of Parliament Hill. From the outset, the SPVQ warns the protesters that it intends to respect the right to demonstrate, which is “guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms”.
Security
But then he establishes a series of conditions. He recalls that his role is also to protect “the safety of demonstrators, other road users, citizens and the public domain”.
Thus, “no act of violence, vandalism or criminal offense will be tolerated”, writes the SPVQ.
As was the case for the first two days of the demonstration, the police will make sure “to preserve the access roads for the circulation of all users using the road network”.
No obstruction to traffic
Since Thursday evening, officers have been preventing heavy goods vehicles and vehicles from parking and obstructing traffic. On the other hand, some arteries are already blocked to vehicles, around the parliament, due to the holding of the Carnival, which took off on Friday.
The objective is to avoid finding itself in the same situation as Ottawa, which has been under occupation for more than a week, while dozens of heavy goods vehicles have settled in the streets around the parliament.
The police point out that they have extensive experience in event management and that they are able to adjust their strategies “so that the event takes place in the right order and in compliance with laws and regulations”.
The SPVQ will communicate the latest developments through its Twitter feed.