Jordan Peterson calls for civil disobedience in face of Quebec's curfew

Dr. Jordan Peterson is calling for Montrealers to resist curfew restrictions that are once again being implemented in Quebec, as cases of the mild Omicron variant continue to skyrocket in the province.

"The cure is far worse than the disease," wrote Peterson in a Twitter thread posted on Friday, the day that the province is set to impose the measure on its highly vaccinated populace. "Unbelievable. Time for civil disobedience."

The province's premier Francois Legault announced on Thursday that a curfew would be implemented on Friday, starting at 10 pm and ending at 5 am. No end date was given, though the premier assured it would be the first restriction removed once the situation "stabilizes."

A similar curfew was implemented in Quebec this past January, and lasted until May. Thousands were ticketed and fined for leaving their homes, with the province raking in over $28 million in revenue from tickets. The province went so far as to ticket the homeless, with Legault saying that non-homeless people would pretend to be homeless to avoid tickets.

Private gatherings in homes were also prohibited by the premier, with those who live alone and those needing a caregiver being the only exceptions.

"Do we care nothing for our liberties? 'No private gatherings' with a near 80% vaccination rate? And a curfew?"

Quebec leads all provinces outside of the Maritimes in vaccinations, with 78.05 percent of those eligible receiving two doses, with an additional 5.64 percent having receive one dose.

"Is there no excuse too small for the totalitarianism wannabes? What the hell is wrong with this country?"

"135 hospitalization and Quebec citizens are subjected to draconian measures. We are doing to our society exactly what cowardly professors already let happen to the universities."

"Resist, Montreal! Take to the streets at 10:00 pm tonight. Defy this appalling law! Or lose more freedom to the bureaucrats," he wrote.

Fines for breaking curfew range between $1,000 and $6,000. Young people 14 years of age and over are subject to a $500 fine.

This is not the first time that Peterson has unloaded on Canada's response to the COVID pandemic. In a November interview with Dave Rubin, Peterson lambasted his country's policies, as well as its political leaders.

In the interview, Peterson says that he spoke with a senior advisor to one of the provincial parties, who told him that COVID policy is "driven by nothing but opinion polls" related to the popularity of the government.

"Policy is being driven by people who are more afraid than they should be," said Peterson.

"I wouldn't say I'm cynical about governments exactly... But I still found that extremely disheartening," he said. "I thought, at least, policies that I don't agree with, the restrictive policies, were at least driven by something remotely resembling a scientifically informed plan, and [the senior advisor] was irate at what had been happening. Enough to consider resigning," said Peterson of the unnamed government source.

Premier remains popular and appears 'invincible'

Despite the controversy, the ruling Coalition Avenir Quebec remains popular in the province.

Recent figure show the party handedly out competing their contemporaries. The CAQ currently poll at around 46 percent, with the Quebec Liberals, Quebec Solidaire, and the Parti Quebecois all trailing by at least 20 points.

The party seems so untouchable, in fact, that it remains likely that the party will win a majority in the coming 2022 election.

Quebec is still the only province in Canada to have imposed a curfew during the pandemic.