Quebec City’s mayor says he’s giving more powers to local police as protesters opposed to COVID-19 health measures are preparing to descend on the provincial capital again this weekend.
Ahead of planned protests in front of the provincial legislature, Mayor Bruno Marchand said Wednesday the city’s executive committee has adopted two measures.
One is a permanent change that will allow the local police to make all decisions regarding traffic, parking and street closures.
The other puts in place a ban on outdoor cooking and consuming alcohol in parks and in public spaces that Marchand says will be revisited this summer.
Quebec City police issued 170 tickets and made three arrests during protests in front of the legislature during the first weekend in February.