Montreal sex workers to demonstrate for stronger labour rights on F1 weekend

Williams driver Canadian Lance Stroll followed by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, (44) of Great Britain, turns at the hairpin during the first practice session on Friday, June 9, 2017 at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

MONTREAL — A group of sex workers in Montreal is planning a demonstration today during Grand Prix weekend to demand better working conditions.

The Sex Work Autonomous Committee says the workers want an end to the nightly fees that dancers are forced to pay to work in clubs, as well as the full decriminalization of sex work and access to better labour protections.

The demonstration takes place during Montreal’s Formula One Grand Prix weekend, which draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city.

One member of the organizing group told The Canadian Press last week that dancers in strip clubs are generally considered self-employed workers, which means they’re not covered by Quebec workplace safety regulations.

She said they sometimes pay club managers more in bar fees than they earn, and that some clubs charge dancers more to perform during Grand Prix weekend.

The committee has called on strip club and massage parlour workers as well as other sex workers to go on strike for the day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2026.