One arrested and 57 ticketed for protesting Quebec's curfew

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MONTREAL — Montreal police say 57 people were ticketed and one was arrested at a protest against Quebec's provincewide curfew on Saturday night.

A few dozen people gathered in downtown Montreal to oppose the return of a curfew, which came into effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on New Year's Eve.

Premier Francois Legault announced the measure at a news conference in Montreal on Dec. 30 in an effort to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and prevent the province's health-care system from being overwhelmed.

Montreal Police spokeswoman Caroline Chevrefils says one person was arrested on Saturday for assaulting a police officer, and 57 tickets were issued for violating the curfew.

Police detain a man who ran from them at the start of a curfew in Quebec in Montreal on Friday, December 31, 2021, The 10pm to 5am curfew is intended to help stem the rise of infections due to COVID-19.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe 

Adults outside after the curfew can receive fines of $1,000 to $6,000, while youth 14 years of age and older are liable to a fine of $500.

This is the second time the province is facing such a measure after a previous curfew introduced in early January 2021 was in effect for more than five months.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 2, 2022.