As I was walking down Sherbrooke St. on Saturday afternoon, a woman grabbed my arm.
“Monsieur, you don’t have to wear a mask, it’s a beautiful day,” she said.
“Yes, I do, because I am old person and the streets are crowded with people who aren’t wearing masks,” I replied, as I gestured to the street where thousands of Montrealers gathered for what was billed as a Freedom Rally.
What followed was a short debate over the value of masks, the extent to which COVID-19 represents a public health risk and the government response to the global pandemic. She downplayed the risk of COVID-19 but, at the same time, claimed the government murdered thousands of people in senior residences.
The conversation ended when the woman shrugged off my concerns, told me I was brainwashed by the World Health Organization and the media but, nevertheless, wished me good health.
It was one of several surreal moments during a two-hour march from the gates of McGill University to the former Radio-Canada headquarters on René-Lévesque Blvd.
The march was ostensibly designed to protest against government regulations regarding masks in public places. It came on a day when Quebec introduced a new level of enforcement and fines for those who flaunt the rules.
But the marchers represented an assortment of groups with a variety of grievances. There were signs directed against the WHO and the provincial and federal government. Premier François Legault and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were denounced as traitors and murderers.
There were a number of signs that read: “Better to die free than to live without freedom.” They included the tagline rael.org, a reference to the so-called UFO religion whose followers believe humanity was created by extraterrestrials.
There were lots of Quebec and Patriotes flags and at least a half-dozen Trump 2020 flags with the legends “Keep America Great” and “No More Bullshit.”
When the march arrived at the Radio-Canada building, several speakers railed about fake news and downplayed the seriousness of the virus. This was on a day when Quebec reported six deaths from earlier this month and 244 new cases.
The backdrop for the speakers included a QAnon flag. The U.S.-based group promotes a conspiracy theory that says U.S. President Donald Trump is battling against a cabal of pedophiles, which includes a number of prominent liberal politicians and businessmen.
“It’s not that serious,” said a man in his 20s named Tony. “It’s like a bad flu and I read a story that said masks don’t contain the spread.”
He couldn’t remember the origin of the story, but it’s safe to say it didn’t come from a medical professional.
There were some humorous moments.
As the group began to move, police reminded the marchers about the need for social distancing and that they were subject to fines starting at $1,000. The admonition was ignored, but no tickets were issued.
There was a counter-protest of sorts. As the march approached Berri St., a young masked couple was walking in the opposite direction and the woman greeted the marchers with a one-finger salute.
Then, there was the billboard on the side of route that featured a series of masks emblazoned with fleur-de-lis and the legend: “Le Lys contre-attaque; Les masques fleurdelisés.”
None of the mask-less marchers paused to jot down the website.
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