Outremont Orthodox Easter procession to go ahead

Members of the Russian Orthodox community in Outremont say they will defy a borough moratorium on parades, and hold their traditional Easter procession as planned.

The Montreal borough imposed a moratorium on all street processions and parades after tension escalated during the Jewish festival of Purim in March.

The moratorium means members of the Saint-Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral can't hold their Easter procession on Sunday, when they would have circled the church three times by walking down the street.

Congregation member Peter Paganuzzi said worshippers will go ahead with the tradition but will stay on the sidewalks.

"It's a huge restraint — it's very difficult to do this," said Paganuzzi. "We will have some people out there as well who will try to manage this, and we will hand out little leaflets."

The congregation has held an Orthodox Easter procession for the last 50 years, and the moratorium "is really terrible," he added.

The ban on street processions is in effect until June 1, to give the borough a chance to review its noise bylaws.

Hasidic residents celebrating Purim last month clashed with a local borough councillor after she showed up at an event to protest what she felt was a disruption in the community.