The streets of Jeanne-Mance Park were crowded with children, teenagers, and adults dancing and carrying signs on Sunday. This event took place in the context of a growing campaign against Indore’s ban on dance and music in public places.
On Saturday, October 23rd, the ban on indoor dancing sparked outrage among thousands of individuals in Montreal.
For “Open Dance Floors / Ouvrir Les Pistes De Danse,” people flocked to Jeanne-Mance Park.The crowd was diverse, with party people who had traveled in from the night before alongside youngsters and established listeners who have been going to Stereo’s club nights. They danced to a mix of fusion, dub, bhangra and trance music from DJ Adam X and others. The demands of the demonstration were simple for everyone: lift the restrictions on nightlife and allow businesses to reopen.
Provincial governments in Canada have the authority to regulate Covid-19 activities and laws.Since the start of the pandemic, the Quebec government, which is in charge of Montreal, has limited all indoor music venues. Restaurants and bars may now operate at maximum capacity as of November 1st, but the no-dancing restriction has not been lifted. (Only in Quebec and British Columbia does it continue to be unlawful to dance in bars and nightclubs.)
For Montrealers looking to dance, there have only been two legal alternatives: outdoor summer festivals such as MUTEK and Piknic Électronik. Winter, they argue, is coming and participants in the nightlife industry are frantic for indoor locations, especially as winter open-air parties have already begun in nearby cities such as Toronto, New York, and Chicago. Although the vaccination rate in Montreal is currently over 80%, much of the community believes that it’s time to reopen.
“We’ve waited long enough, and I don’t think any of us can go another winter without raving,” said one attendee at the event on Saturday, who requested anonymity.
It’s a sentiment echoed by many. “We can’t put up with this ban anymore!” said Brian, who participated in the event on Saturday night. “It doesn’t make sense because people are still dying. If anything, the government should be focusing on vaccine distribution.”
The protest was supposed to be a brief walk, beginning at Jeanne-Mance Park and finishing at Place des Arts. The lack of an official plan to close the streets, as well as concerns about the DJs performing in moving vehicles, necessitated a compromise, and the protest became a march. Overall, the event was peaceful; there were no indications of police brutality.
Various parties collaborated to create Daylight Dance Floors: Stereo, Club Unity, Le Salon Daomé, and New City Gas (among others), as well as the techno collective OCTOV and nongovernmental organization MTL 24/24. The demonstration was divided into four major areas, each with a powerful soundsystem and a suitable dance floor. OCTOV played hard-tempo techno. Psytrance and jump-up drum & bass were employed by Omnia, who i known for their summer party. In the heart of Montreal’s gay village, Club Unity played house and tech house. The Stereo stage, where Misstress Barbara performed an exciting set, was perhaps the most exciting part of the event.
“When we see concerts and entertainment events with people dancing and singing without masks on, it just makes us angry,” Mike Rein, co-owner of Stereo, told CBC News.” We’re fine with masks; we’re fine with passports; we’re fine with everything. All we want is the right to dance freely.”
The event was a success. At the end of the march there were around ten thousand participants, and it’s estimated that hundreds of individuals danced on two other stages in an unofficial fashion. Although people were afraid of a police crackdown at first, the demonstration went ahead without a hitch.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login