Members of the National Assembly unanimously passed two motions in quick succession on Tuesday condemning misogynistic remarks made against a policewoman in the performance of her duties.
A video has resurfaced online in recent days showing a Montreal police officer being verbally abused by a driver she had just pulled over. She remained impassive, having no legal means to silence the individual.
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Unlike in Longueuil, Laval and Quebec City, there is no regulation in Montreal that prohibits insulting police officers in the performance of their duties.
In a motion he had adopted on Tuesday, CAQ MNA Mathieu Lévesque recalled that “equality between women and men is a fundamental, non-negotiable principle of Quebec society.”
The text “encourages municipalities to adopt a regulatory framework prohibiting such actions towards Quebec police officers,” while reiterating “unwavering support for all law enforcement agencies operating in Quebec.”
A second motion, presented by PQ member Joël Arseneau and also passed unanimously, recalls “the unacceptable and reprehensible nature of insulting and abusing members of the police force and law enforcement officers on duty.”
The motion called on the National Assembly to “vote in favour of offences and fines for offending individuals” and to demand the implementation of “the necessary legislative measures to prohibit insulting or verbally abusing police officers.”
Before the votes in the House, Arseneau argued that the Montreal event was not “anecdotal”. “In fact, it is a situation that (…) is happening more and more often,” he stated.
Québec solidaire parliamentary leader Ruba Ghazal agreed. “What I heard was misogyny. It’s similar to the comments I receive, for example, on my social media,” she said.
“There is a rise in violent rhetoric against women. We must fight it, no matter where it comes from,” she added.
Later, Conservative leader Éric Duhaime denounced the “disgraceful gestures” towards the police officers, stating: “Do you really think that in the United States, if someone had insulted a police officer like that, they would have received the same treatment?
“Do you think that afterwards, the individual would have gone and boasted on social media about what he had just done to the policewoman? That would never have been tolerated. (…) I hope we will return to a somewhat tougher stance. Law and order are important.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
