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Civic square for rent Cigarette advertising is banned from all public spaces. But as the Jazz Festival illustrates, if you rent out the public space you can plaster your product's name wherever it fits.
Ayatollah spokesperson Jean Némard explained, "This is my neighbourhood and I'm sick and tired of seeing tobacco ads in it. Smoking kills 10,000 Quebecers every year." The police asked protesters to desist, stating, , "This is not public space, it's rented by du Maurier." On Friday, the Ayatollahs' lawyer sent a mise en demeure (formal demand) to the police, ordering them to cease the harassment. The Ayatollahs plan another protest this Friday at 7 p.m., handing out flyers on the corner of Ste-Catherine and Bleury. Participants are asked to wear a black T-shirt. Tracey Peever
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Now the Health Ayatollahs--a group of anti-smoking activists dressed in black with du Maurier cigarette packs around their necks--have developed some counter-advertising of their own. Last Thursday at Place des Arts, they distributed impressively designed pamphlets for the "Festival International des Gaz" presented by "du Meurtrier" ("the Murderer").