French-English Relations

The FLQ and the October Crisis

What is going on?What are the facts? What are the sentiments? What are the sides?Is it the same event?

Who and What is

•Founded in 1968 by René Lévesque. •Party objectives were to obtain social, economic and political independence for Quebec•French-Canadians living in Quebec preferred to be recognized as Quebecois and not the precedent at this time

What is the FLQ?FLQ = Front de la Libébration Québec• radical group of separatists founded in 1963. • felt terrorism and violence were a necessity in order to bring freedom for Quebec.•No leader, numerous small groups or cells

What is the ALQ?ALQ = Armée de la Libération du Quebec• more violent radical separatist group. •robbed banks and raided the Canadian Armed Forces depots for ammunition. •were responsible for the majority of the mailbox bombings in English-speaking areas of Montreal.

WHAT WAS THE OCTOBER CRISIS?On October 5 1970 FLQ members kidnapped

senior British trade commissioner in Montreal, James R. Cross and held him for ransom

They demanded the release of 23 political prisoners, transportation to Cuba or Algeria, $500 000 in gold bars and publication of the FLQ Manifesto or they would kill Cross within 48 hours.

Majority refused so FLQ kidnapped Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte...a Frenchman

James Cross Pierre Laporte

War Measures actOctober 16th, Prime Minister of Canada,

Pierre Trudeau implemented the War Measures act, at the request of the Quebec government

War Measures Act takes away the civil rights of Canadians

50 members of Parti Quebecois, approx 450 other Canadians were arrested

Could be held up to 21 days no charges and 90 without a trial

ALL

FLQ MANIFESTO

Bittersweet EndOn the 18th of October, Pierre Laporte found

murderedDecember 4th, James Cross rescued after

being held of 59 daysIn exchange for his freedom the kidnappers

were granted refuge to CubaDecember 28th, Laporte’s killers were finally

caught and charged with murder and the FLQ October crisis was finally over

Where are we?

1990

NOW

In your shoes...•How would you have personally reacted

• As a Quebecker• As the government

•Do you think they were justified at all?• Was the government justified in implementing the war

measures act? • Was the FLQ justified in their kidnapping? Would you resort

to violence?•Is there any downside to learning/knowing another language?