Quebec’s Conservative Party has reported two separate incidents of volunteers being threatened with bladed objects as they posted campaign signs over the weekend.
“I’m shocked by what happened to these two volunteers,” said party leader Éric Duhaime in an Aug. 29 press release.
Duhaime said such incidents shouldn’t take place in a democracy and that political activists from all parties should be free to carry on their work without fear for their safety.
The two incidents took place in different cities, with one occurring in Montreal on Saturday night and the other in the northeastern city of Sept-Îles on Sunday afternoon.
In both cases, the signs were reportedly first vandalized shortly after being posted and the volunteers were then threatened when they confronted the perpetrators.
A video provided to The Epoch Times by the party’s spokesperson Cédric Lapointe shows a vandalized sign in Sept-Îles with the video taker being heard asking the vandal to show his face.
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The 10-second clip doesn’t show the individual threatening the volunteer, which occurred before the video was taken according to an account from the volunteer provided by Lapointe.
The account says the volunteer and her 15-year-old son pleaded with the man to stop what he was doing as he made two steps toward them pointing the utility knife he had used to break the campaign sign.
The Quebec provincial police told The Epoch Times that a complaint has been received and an investigation opened, with the subject still on the loose as of the morning of Aug. 30.
In Montreal, the police service said a 49-year-old male suspect was arrested and subsequently released with conditions.
The suspect’s identity will be released when he appears before the court, at which point there will be a decision on charges.
The Quebec Conservatives also said a large number of signs were vandalized in Quebec City.
The provincial campaign launched on Aug. 28. Quebecers will be going to the polls on Oct. 3.
The Conservatives are running on the English slogan “Freedom to Choose” and have been galvanized by individuals opposed to the strict COVID-19 restrictions previously imposed by the ruling Coalition Avenir Québec.
