Laval police busted a gathering of more than 200 young people Sunday outside a Tim Hortons restaurant in a Ste-Dorothée shopping centre parking lot.
Police arrived at the Laval mall along Highway 13 at around 8 p.m. to find the large crowd, along with over 100 vehicles.
It took more than 35 police officers over two hours to clear the crowd.
“Illegal gatherings like this will not be tolerated,” Laval Police spokesperson Julie Marois said.
Police said they issued 130 fines of $1,500 each for contravening the province’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Activities organized in a public place are not permitted in red zones under current COVID-19 government safety measures, with limited exceptions for funerals.
Beginning on March 26, places of worship will be able to accommodate a maximum of 25 people.
While the area is popular for gatherings of local car enthusiasts known as car meets, the reason behind the gathering is unknown.
Marois said that police do not suspect street racing.
However, a number of modified or “luxurious” vehicles were spotted by officers at the scene.
Marois said the parking lot has been “problematic” in the past, being the location for a number of illegal gatherings.
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