City of Montreal won't appeal court ruling to allow masked protesters
Julien Villeneuve, a.k.a. 'Anarchopanda,' to proceed with appeal of requirement to submit itinerary to police
The City of Montreal says it won't be appealing a Quebec Superior Court decision that declared part of the controversial bylaw P-6 unconstitutional.
In June, Quebec Superior Court Justice Chantal Masse struck down a provision of the controversial bylaw that made it illegal to wear a mask during a protest.
The city's media relations spokesman, Gonzalo Nunez, says Montreal will not appeal that decision and will be changing its bylaw accordingly.
Julien Villeneuve — the panda-costumed, informal mascot of the 2012 student protest movement, also known as 'Anarchopanda' — challenged the bylaw's constitutionality after he had his head seized by police at an anti-P-6 demonstration.
Villeneuve said Montreal's decision to drop plans to appeal the ruling isn't very surprising.
"There was legal precedent for our win in the Superior Court on that matter, and I think if they were to try again, they would lose again," he said.
Villeneuve says he will continue with his own appeal of the ruling, fighting against an article of the bylaw that was upheld by Masse – the requirement that protesters file an itinerary with police before a planned demonstration.
Nunez said the City of Montreal will see Villeneuve back in court.