Shocking video has been doing the rounds of police in Gatineau, Quebec, busting up a family gathering of six people on New Year’s Eve.
The event featured two older parents and two of their adult children, who were accompanied by their partners. A neighbour apparently called the police to rat them out.
Two of them were arrested and all of them were fined. The video, like most such videos, does not tell the full story. But from what it does show, it appears the police response was excessive.
Did all of those cops who showed up have nothing better to do? Was there no real crime going on in Gatineau that evening?
We support many of the restrictions put in place to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 across Canada. What we do not support though is over-the-top enforcement of these rules.
Instead of outright criminalizing the deeply personal ritual of family holiday gatherings, public health officials should have offered recommendations on how to facilitate safe and responsible gatherings — such as isolating in advance and only inviting over low-risk persons.
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Jack’s Note: The column is correct as far as it goes but it doesn’t note that police are attempting to enforce rules imposed on us by their political masters who, as a crowd, have zero credibility on this file anymore. I’ve mentioned before that police are attempting to enforce bad law that has not been tested in the Supreme Court of Canada and therefore, they may find themselves in the difficult position of breaking the constitutional law long in force in our country in order to enforce the unenforceable. All so incompetent folks like Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau can continue to look good. It is to weep and yes, it needs to stop.
