Anti-masker denied bail for allegedly ignoring court orders
An anti-mask protester who was arrested recently — after he allegedly breached a release condition by approaching Premier François Legault — has been denied bail and will remain behind bars while he awaits a trial.
Quebec Court Judge Christian Tremblay delivered the decision Monday morning at the Montreal courthouse. The judge noted that François Amalega Bitondo, 43, has seven cases pending against him in three other courthouses in Quebec, all related to protests against health measures, and is alleged to have breached other conditions imposed on him.
On Nov. 12, Amalega Bitondo was arrested by the Sûreté du Québec in Shawinigan after approaching Legault during a public event and shouting insults toward the premier. He was released after agreeing to a condition that he maintain a distance of at least 300 metres from the politician.
Two days later, he was arrested again, while protesting outside a hotel in Trois-rivières where Legault was taking part in the Coalition Avenir Québec's general council. In that case, he was detained and was granted bail with an order that he keep 300 metres away from Legault.
He was also supposed to keep the peace, as part of a sentence of 12 months of probation that he received at the Montreal municipal courthouse, on Oct. 5, after he was convicted of obstructing police officers in the line of duty. In March last year, Montreal police officers were called to a grocery store in the St-laurent borough after Amalega Bitondo repeatedly refused to wear a mask.
According to evidence heard during Amalega Bitondo's bail hearing last week, he was part of a group of people who were protesting outside Radio-canada's studios on Jan. 16, as Legault was about to be interviewed on the show Tout le monde en parle. Police officers reminded Amalega Bitondo that he was not supposed to be within 300 metres of the premier, but he refused to leave. He was arrested after a vehicle Legault was in arrived at Radio-canada and protesters approached it.
The Crown objected to Amalega Bitondo's release while arguing that detaining him is necessary for public safety. He is alleged to have breached four release conditions already during 2021.
“His previous conduct demonstrates that he has no respect for the justice system,” Tremblay said. “Imposing more conditions on him at this point would be useless.”
Amalega Bitondo's trial is scheduled for March 2.