More than 150 homeless people have been fined for non-compliance with the curfew imposed in 2021 by Quebec to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Profiling Observatory revealed on Monday.
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According to the organization which analyzed 31,845 statements of offense issued for non-compliance with health measures between March 22, 2020 and June 27, 2021, 275 were received by people who declared a place of residence as an address. shelter for the homeless.
Of the number, 151 were given for breaking the curfew, even though the government of François Legault had argued that homeless people should be exempt from having to respect the curfew.
It should be remembered that the question of the rights of the homeless, following the imposition of the first curfew in January 2021, had tragically imposed itself in the news with the death of Raphaël André, a homeless man who had taken refuge in the middle of the night in a chemical toilet during the curfew period.
“The government took the trouble to think about dogs to walk in the evening before worrying about the health and safety of human beings who are homeless,” protested Frédéric Côté, coordinator of the Clinique Droit de cité. .
“People in a situation of homelessness or vulnerability have received statements of offense for their mere presence in the public space. […]. We now know that tickets for non-compliance with the curfew were given to these people even after the exemption, which is unacceptable,” continued Bernard St-Jacques, director of the Clinique Droits Devant.
The League of Rights and Freedoms has called for an investigation into the application of health measures in Quebec.
“It is time for an independent body authorized to report to the National Assembly, such as the Public Protector, to be appointed immediately to examine the management of the state of health emergency, the management of the health crisis, which includes police and judicial repression”, asked the president of the League, Alexandra Pierre.