Police north of Montreal say fines will be handed out for a maskless dance party at a suburban shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.
Local police and mall security intervened after about five minutes of dancing at Place Rosemère, a mall located in Rosemère, Que.
The event, filmed and widely shared online, was clearly something that was planned, says Insp. Martin Charron of the Therese-De Blainville police force.
READ MORE: Quebec adds 1,164 new coronavirus cases, 13 additional deaths as hospitalizations drop
Charron says an organizer was identified and was told she would receive three tickets for holding an event against public health rules, for not wearing a mask in public and for not following physical distancing rules.
Charron says it’s the first time police have had to intervene at an anti-mask event of this sort.
Rosemère has been part of the province’s red zone since Oct. 1, which means indoor and outdoor gatherings are banned and bars, gyms and restaurant dining among are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Last week, Premier François Legault announced restrictions, which had been set to expire today, would be extended to Jan. 11.