Without news from Quebec about a reopening of their establishments, restaurateurs intend to challenge the Legault government.
• Read also: Back to class: Children relieved to return to school
• Read also: COVID-19: a 4-year-old girl loses her life in Quebec
A movement led by restaurant owners is taking shape on social media wanting establishments to open their dining rooms to full capacity on January 30.
“National mass movement (without QR). All together, next January 30. Quebec belongs to us. Let’s take back our rights! Civil disobedience to protect the future of our children”, can we read on the poster.
Among those who intend to protest against the measure imposed by the government, there is the Kesté restaurant in Montreal.
“We will open at FULL capacity on Sunday, January 30, 2022. We can no longer comply with these arbitrary measures which have proven to be INEFFECTIVE in solving the problem we all face”, writes in a publication relaying the poster in question. .
Recall that restaurateurs were forced to close their dining rooms on December 31 when the Prime Minister announced a series of measures to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The decision had shocked more than one since it was judged that it was too last minute and that the restaurants would not have time to sell their inventories, in particular.
Despite everything, other restaurateurs oppose this movement and call for calm.
“I would strongly advise against going in this direction, to go towards the movement of civil disobedience, but I would tell you that I understand the state of mind of the restaurateurs who think of joining this one”, mentions Martin Vézina of the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ), which hopes to reopen the dining rooms on February 8.
Thus, restaurants could welcome customers for Valentine’s Day.
It remains to be seen now if the restaurateurs will indeed go ahead with the movement and if the customers will be there.