Quebec’s Bill 9 Is a Direct Attack on the Fundamental Freedoms of All Quebecers

In collaboration with the Ligue des droits et libertés, our Fundamental Freedoms program director Anaïs Bussières McNicoll wrote an open letter criticizing Quebec’s Bill 9. This letter was published in La Presse today.

Read it here (in French): https://www.lapresse.ca/dialogue/opinions/2025-11-27/projet-de-loi-9-et-pratiques-religieuses-collectives-en-public/une-atteinte-claire-aux-libertes-fondamentales.php

“Contrary to what the Premier of Quebec has suggested, it is not up to his government to be the arbiter of ‘what we want to see—or not see—in Quebec.’ Under the guise of protecting the population from the alleged scourge of street prayers, the Quebec government is in fact attacking our fundamental right to exercise our freedom of peaceful assembly and to express ourselves in a way that displeases some, including the government.”

“Critical expression inevitably generates a variety of reactions. Disruptive peaceful demonstrations can also create discomfort, as can seeing fellow citizens meditating or praying in a public space.”

“However, this does not justify an approach that we consider repressive, arbitrary, and authoritarian. On the contrary, temporary discomfort is part of life in a democracy, one of the cornerstones of which is the fundamental right of everyone to freely express their beliefs and opinions in public.”