Charges will be filed against protesters who broke into Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon’s constituency office in Terrebonne last week.
“A complaint was filed with the Terrebonne police by constituency office staff,” said Mathieu St-Amand, communications director at the Office of the Minister of Economy.
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On November 14, four people believed to be Common Front protesters entered the office of Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon’s MP in Terrebonne.
“They entered under a false pretext and committed crimes,” explains Benoit Richard, lieutenant of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
According to Mathieu St-Amand, communications director in the Office of the Minister of Economy, it was the security of the National Assembly that recommended filing a complaint with the Terrebonne police.
Following the incident, an investigation was carried out by the SQ’s Major Crimes Unit, as the Minister’s Offices are under the Intelligence and Public Protection Department of the police.
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“Two men have been arrested and will appear in court later to face charges of burglary and mischief,” Mr Richard added.
For her part, the President of the Ministry of Finance, Sonia LeBel, stated that the demonstrations must be carried out in accordance with the law.
“There is zero tolerance for intimidation of National Assembly staff and misdeeds. The context doesn’t matter,” she told TVA Nouvelles.
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Questionable motivations?
Yesterday, the Common Front responded to the minister’s actions in a press release.
“The Common Front questions the motives that led the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) to file complaints with the Sûreté du Québec at the Major Crimes Bureau following demonstrations in several district offices of MPs and ministers,” it said.
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According to the group, arrested protesters can no longer “specifically appear at CAQ deputies’ district offices.”
“Here we are dealing with an attempt at political intimidation, a first in the modern history of public sector negotiations,” the Common Front claims.
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