Last Saturday saw perhaps the largest anti-lockdown protest in Canada since the Wuhan virus pandemic restrictions first kicked in more than a year ago. Some estimated the crowd to be as big as 100,000, and certainly the video evidence would suggest that estimate is not unreasonable.
Demonstrators railed against mandatory mask-wearing, the 8:00 p.m. curfew (unless one owns a dog; a canine allows Montrealers to leave the house 24/7), the debilitating lockdown of businesses (big box stores excluded, of course), and the spectre of so-called “vaccination passports” on the horizon.
Naturally, members of the mainstream media had conniptions over the fact that — shockers! — there was a lack of socialist distancing during the demonstration and that almost everybody was NOT wearing a mask (those who were wearing masks were mostly doing so to conceal their identities so as to avoid employment repercussions come Monday morning, such is the state of our odious cancel culture in 2021).
The demonstrators congregated near Olympic Stadium at noon. And this made for more fodder for mainstream media falsehoods, as it was reported that a city-run vaccination clinic at the stadium had gone on hiatus to avoid any “confrontations” with demonstrators — even though organizers stated there were absolutely no plans to disrupt the Big O’s vaccination site.
Indeed, it should be noted that not only was the parade peaceful, but it was downright festive in nature, with frequent cries of “Liberté!” punctuating the air. Naturally, that didn’t stop some mainstream media outlets from leading their stories with the pronouncement that some violent interactions had occurred with with police and certain individuals AFTER the anti-lockdown demonstration had concluded.
How odd given that the lion’s share of violence on this May Day took place near Jarry Park. That’s where a small group of anarchists and Marxists gathered, later making their argument against capitalism by going on a vandalism spree, smashing the shop windows of small businesses. Disgraceful, albeit de rigueur.
Read more: Estimated 100,000 Montreal protesters rail against Quebec lockdown, clamour for Premier to resign
