Bill 21

The Quebec government's bill to ban the wearing of religious symbols for some state employees is drawing wide-ranging opposition, from teachers donning symbolic hijabs in the street to an eminent philosopher who co-authored a report that inspired the legislation.

The Quebec government scrambled on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, to explain how its proposed secularism law would be enforced as a growing number of organizations said they are prepared to disobey it.

The Quebec government is taking a moderate approach to secularism that does not violate freedom of religion, Premier Francois Legault said on Sunday, March 31, 2019, as he defended his government's controversial bill to ban the wearing of religious symbols for some public sector employees.

Quebec's secularism bill reflects the wishes of the Quebecois nation, the government said after introducing legislation on Thursday, March 28, 2019, prohibiting many public sector workers from wearing religious symbols and blocking their ability to challenge the bill over rights violations.

The Bloc Quebecois says it plans to leverage its 32 members to pressure the Liberal minority government into making concessions that benefit Quebec, but party leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is keeping his strategy secret for now.