Quebec ‘anti-patch’ law targets Hells Angels
Quebec has passed an 'anti-patch' law banning the public display of gang symbols, including those of the Hells Angels, as part of a broader law-and-order bill. The law aims to curb intimidation tactics by outlaw motorcycle gangs, which have a violent history in the province. Legal challenges are expected on free-speech grounds, and the measure may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court of Canada.
- ▪The anti-patch law was passed on April 2 as part of a larger public safety bill in Quebec.
- ▪The Hells Angels have a history of violence in Quebec, including a biker war in the 1990s that resulted in over 160 deaths.
- ▪Lawyers for the Hells Angels have threatened legal action, arguing the ban infringes on freedom of expression.
- ▪The law targets gang insignia used to intimidate and extort business owners, according to Quebec’s Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière.
- ▪Similar bans on gang symbols exist in Manitoba and some Australian states.
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Open this photo in gallery:Quebec's anti-patch measure was passed as part of a larger law-and-order bill on April 2 and makes it illegal to display the symbols of gangs such as the Hells Angels in public.Graham Hughes/The Canadian PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountSpring in Quebec means melting snow, maple syrup and Hells Angels. The biker gang with a blood-soaked history in the province typically conducts its “first runs,” kitted out in full black leather regalia, in early May to reassert its presence after a winter hibernation. But this spring, a legal showdown is in the offing, after the Quebec government passed an “anti-patch” law making it illegal to display the gang’s symbols in public.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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