ABSTRACT
Curfews can be described as spatial and temporal borders that exclude and restrict mobility. During certain hours, the mere presence in a certain place, most often public spaces, is illegal, even if one has not done anything wrong. Curfews were imposed twice in Quebec since January 2021 (for a period of almost six months in total), allegedly to limit contacts and stop the COVID-19 virus transmission. But this spatiotemporal public health measure rapidly became a repression tool. A very large number of statements of offence, with associated fines and fees amounting to $1,550, were issued by the police for alleged curfew violations. In this chapter, we will draw both on quantitative data on the judicialization of the pandemic in Quebec and on qualitative data on the impact of the pandemic on homeless people to shed light on the socio-legal effects of the curfew, which seem to have been in the blind spot of Quebec authorities. If everyone was affected by the curfews, marginalized people, and especially homeless people, suffer disproportionately its consequences and its enforcement.
