A long-time left-wing activist had initially escaped charges after attending a counter-protest in Quebec City earlier in August, but he’s now facing jail time for giving a false name to police.The name he gave? Michel Goulet, the Hockey Hall of Fame-inductee who played left-wing for the now-defunct Quebec City Nordiques from 1979 to 1990, before moving to the Chicago Blackhawks for five seasons.Singh was arrested by Montreal police on Tuesday, and appeared before a Quebec City judge this morning, facing one count of obstructing a peace officer and one count of impersonation.Obstructing a peace officer could comes with up to two years jail time.“Long live the Nordiques!” He added.Quebec police were less amused.“When we arrest someone, they give their real name. If not, it’s an infraction,” Sergeant Étienne Doyon of the Quebec City police told VICE Québec.Singh has been a staple of Montreal’s activist scene for roughly two decades, organizing various anti-capitalist and anti-globalization rallies and demonstrations.He has not, however, been inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.With files from Simon Coutu
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On August 20, Singh showed up for as demonstration in Quebec City against La Meute, a notorious anti-immigration group that has associated itself with the alt-right.VICE News was on the ground at that demonstration, as antifa protesters trapped La Meute in a parking garage.As the demonstrations go out of hand, with black bloc counter-protesters clashing with the police that stood between them and the far-right protesters, police declared the gathering illegal and began to make arrests.Singh, who has been arrested countless times by Quebec police, was one of those in handcuffs.“After my arrest at the counter-demonstration against the racists in La Meute, I was detained for 30 to 45 minutes, and finally released without criminal charge,” Singh wrote on Facebook. After police pressed Singh to identify himself, he writes: “I’m a hockey lover, so I finally said: ‘Michel Goulet, former left-wing for the Nordiques, address? Le Colisée.’”“I’m a hockey lover, so I finally said: ‘Michel Goulet, former left-wing for the Nordiques.’”
Le Colisée is the former home to the hockey team. That franchise moved to Denver in 1995, when they became the Colorado Avalanche.In a statement released on Tuesday, Singh said he would “appreciate support from people in Quebec City as I appear in court tomorrow.”“When we arrest someone, they give their real name. If not, it’s an infraction,”
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