Réseau de Résistance du Québécois

Réseau de Résistance du Québécois
Dates of operation December 2007-Present
Motives Independence of Quebec
Active region(s) Quebec, Canada
Ideology Quebec sovereigntism
Quebec nationalism
Status Active

The Réseau de Résistance du Québécois (RRQ) (English: Québécois Network of Resistance) is a small fringe[1] Quebec nationalist group founded in 2007 that advocates Quebec sovereignty.[1] In 2008, the RRQ claimed a membership of 500 people.[2] The RRQ have released a manifesto, called "Manifeste du Réseau de Résistance du Québécois (RRQ)".[3]

Protests & campaigns

In January 2008, the RRQ accused the organizers of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary celebrations of being revisionists.[4]

On March 17, 2008, the RRQ marched at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montreal. Members of the RRQ waved Quebec, Patriote and Irish flags. The RRQ also planned to distribute leaflets commemorating links between Irish Canadians and Quebecers, including the involvement of Irish immigrants in the Patriote movement of 1837 in Lower Canada, as Quebec was known at the time.[5] However, both the Mouvement Québec français and the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montreal, two larger Québec nationalist groups, distanced themselves from the RRQ's march.[6]

In January 2009, the RRQ campaigned against the combat reenactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Montreal Gazette's Quebec affairs columnist Don Macpherson wrote that the RRQ used propaganda of the deed combined with threats of violence[7][8] and that played a major role in the cancellation of the reenactment.[9] A spokesperson for the group, retired Quebec filmmaker Pierre Falardeau stated that if the reenactment took place, "some people will get their asses kicked".[10] The RRQ said that for visiting spectators the reenactment would offer "a trip they won't soon forget".[10] Patrick Bourgeois, of the RRQ stated, "The re-enactment is off, that's great. This thing unleashed passions. But ultimately, the responsibility for all of this is the people who concocted this dim-witted plan.[11] Sure, we were promoting civil disobedience. But so were they. The potential for violence was there.”[12]

On June 23, 2009, Lake of Stew, an anglophone music group playing at the L'Autre St. Jean concert for the St. Jean Baptiste festivities at Pelican Park in Rosemont, Quebec, was heckled by members of the RRQ, but the heckling was met mostly with disdain by those in the audience and the band played on to cheers.[13] Guillaume Duchesneau, a member of the RRQ, stated, "I don't think there should be two anglophone bands here. It's the patriotic celebration of Quebec started by a Quebec patriot, Ludger Duvernay in 1834, and it's like an oppression seeing groups sing here in English." He said he noted a virtual absence of any Quebec flags, and said he wondered if a federalist group was organizing the party.[13]

On September 13, 2009, events were held in Quebec to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.[14] The RRQ attended the 24-hour reading marathon, called the Moulin à paroles, presenting 140 texts from Quebec artists and historical figures. One reading was the FLQ Manifesto written by the paramilitary organization called the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). Quebec Premier Jean Charest[14] stated that the reading "trivializes the FLQ, terrorism and violence" (French: Moulin à paroles).[15]

On November 10, 2009, the RRQ blocked the entrance to the Black Watch military armory on Bleury Street in Montreal during a visit from Prince Charles. The crowd of RRQ supporters demonstrated their opposition to the Canadian monarchy.[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 Hamilton, Graeme (2009-09-14). "No sign French lost Plains of Abraham". National Post. Retrieved 2009-03-12. Archive copy at
  2. ↑ "St. Patrick's Day parade too English, says sovereignist group". The Gazette. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  3. ↑ Manifeste du Réseau de Résistance du Québécois (RRQ)
  4. ↑ Canoe – Infos – Québec-Canada: «Où sont nos milliards?»
  5. ↑ St. Patrick's Day parade too English, says sovereignist group
  6. ↑ "Revellers paint the town green". Canada.com. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  7. ↑ MacPherson, Don (2009-02-24). "Better late than never : Marois cuts ties with violent groups". Vigile.net. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  8. ↑ Nurwisah, Ron (2009-02-17). "Graeme Hamilton: Waving a white flag over the Plains". National Post. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  9. ↑ "Fighting Old Battles:A 250-year-old Defeat Still Rankles". The Economist. Feb 26, 2009. Retrieved Feb 2009. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  10. 1 2 MacPherson, Don (2009-02-17). "Retreat! Battlefields Commission backs down". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  11. ↑ "Plains of Abraham re-enactment cancelled". CTV Television Network. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  12. ↑ "Separatists win Plains of Abraham battle". The Globe and Mail. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  13. 1 2 "Sovereignists heckle Lake of Stew at L'Autre St. Jean". The Gazette. 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  14. 1 2 Seguin, Rheal (2009-09-04). "Bonfires to honour battle unites split in Quebec". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  15. ↑ Akerman, Beverly (2009-09-14). "'Have you ever seen a bus full of the English blow up?' Writings of the FLQ reveal the true nature of the group". The Gazette. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  16. ↑ Flying eggs, pro-Quebec slogans greet Charles | CTV News
  17. ↑ AFP: Protests as Prince Charles, Camilla visit Montreal
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.