Article content

For two hours Saturday afternoon, supporters of Bill 21 faced off against counter-protesters in downtown Montreal, separated by a phalanx of riot police.

Hundreds of supporters of the bill, which would ban some government workers from wearing religious symbols, assembled outside the offices of the TVA television network for a “vague bleue” rally organized by a sovereignist group calling for the establishment of a “citizen’s constitution.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Riot police keep peace as Bill 21 protest draws hundreds from both sides in Montreal Back to video

They were met by a smaller group of people, some with their faces covered by bandanas, who had heeded a call for an “anti-racist demonstration against the xenophobic ‘vague bleue’ rally.” They said the rally was the work of the “identitarian right” and ultra-nationalists.

At least four rally-goers were wearing clothing featuring the logo of Storm Alliance, a far-right group. The crowd included a contingent from Quebec’s “yellow-vest” movement, modeled after demonstrators who have rocked France in recent months.