Protesters against Quebec’s secularism law say they’re not giving up
MONTREAL – Protesters against Quebec's secularism law say they aren't giving up the fight to overturn Bill 21.
About 200 of them braved the cold rain and gathered in Montreal's Parc-Extension neighbourhood to march against the law and systemic racism.
The legislation passed earlier this year prohibits some government employees, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols while on the job.
The Quebec government says the law helps to ensure the state is secular, but its opponents say it discriminates against minorities and especially Muslim women.
Ichrak Nourel Hak, a teaching student who wears a hijab, said at the protests that the law has emboldened those who are racist and caused an increase in islamophobic incidents.
She, along with the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, have filed legal challenges against the legislation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2019
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