“What all Quebecers want, no matter their skin colour, is equal treatment without discrimination.”
Ticket price for a white adult had been set at $25.83, compared with $15.18 for BIPOC adults. Lawyer Julius Grey, an expert in human rights law, called the initiative an example of “flagrant discrimination,” the newspaper reported.
Several politicians denounced the differential rate structure, among them Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. He posted on X: “What all Quebecers want, no matter their skin colour, is equal treatment without discrimination. That’s exactly the opposite of what this organization is doing.”
MTL Shake, organized by a member of the La Cabane community organization, announced Saturday on social media the event would not take place. “We received SO much hate and misunderstanding about our BIPOC ticket pricing, that for the safety and security of all, we prefer to stay on the safe side with this one,” it said. “We really regret this situation and are so deeply disappointed.” It said the cost of tickets, including taxes and fees, would be refunded.
La Cabane, which was renting its space to the MTL Shake organizer, said on social media it supported MTL Shake in its intention to “make this event as accessible as possible,” but after discussion, the event organizer agreed, going forward, it would use a sliding-scale fee structure based on revenue, as La Cabane has been doing since 2019.