The October Crisis.
Figure 1
The October Crisis was the kidnapping of James Cross, a British trade commissioner in Montréal by the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ). Their demands were the release of a number of convicted FLQ members and the broadcasting of the FLQ manifesto across public media.
The manifesto was broadcasted on Radio-Canada and the Québec minister of justice offered safe passage abroad for the kidnappers, but on the same day, the Minister of Labour and Immigration was kidnapped, Pierre Laporte.
On October 15, the Canadian Forces were called in and on October 16 the War Measures Act was enacted for the first time during peace. Membership of the FLQ became a criminal offence. As a result, 497 people were detained and over 3000 searches were conducted across Montreal and the rest of Québec.
The body of Pierre Laporte was found on the 17th in a car trunk near St. Hubert Airport. In early December 1970, Québec police discovered the FLQ cell holding James Cross and his release was negotiated in return for safe passage to Cuba for the kidnappers and some family members. Four weeks later, the cell that killed Laporte was located and were charged with kidnapping and murder.
Figure 1 depicts a protest in favour of the FLQ during the October Crisis and figure 2 shows a Canadian Forces helicopter and troops in downtown Montreal.
The manifesto was broadcasted on Radio-Canada and the Québec minister of justice offered safe passage abroad for the kidnappers, but on the same day, the Minister of Labour and Immigration was kidnapped, Pierre Laporte.
On October 15, the Canadian Forces were called in and on October 16 the War Measures Act was enacted for the first time during peace. Membership of the FLQ became a criminal offence. As a result, 497 people were detained and over 3000 searches were conducted across Montreal and the rest of Québec.
The body of Pierre Laporte was found on the 17th in a car trunk near St. Hubert Airport. In early December 1970, Québec police discovered the FLQ cell holding James Cross and his release was negotiated in return for safe passage to Cuba for the kidnappers and some family members. Four weeks later, the cell that killed Laporte was located and were charged with kidnapping and murder.
Figure 1 depicts a protest in favour of the FLQ during the October Crisis and figure 2 shows a Canadian Forces helicopter and troops in downtown Montreal.
The union had several demands on terms of health, salary and workers rights. Some of these were elimination of asbestos dust around the mill and a 15 cent an hour general wage increase and a five cent an hour night work increase. Other demands included a social security fund administered by the union and the implementation of the Rand Formula, which was a form of union security when part of a worker's (who was in a bargaining unit) wages were deducted to go to the union as union dues. These demands were considered very radical at the time and were rejected by the mine owners. The reasons for this strike are mainly because the workers believed they had been discriminated against in favour of the English-speaking population, who controlled the mines worked by Francophone workers. The following quote illustrates this claim in the words of Pierre Vallières.
People had always endured working conditions that bordered on slavery, and the favouring of English workers, who made up about 10% of the work force. Everything was done in English. The English had all the best jobs. After that, French Canadians were
hired as white Negroes to fill the gaps.
- Pierre Vallières, White Niggers of America: The Precocious Autobiography of a Quebec Terrorist
Figure 3 depicts a striker being arrested during a protest.
People had always endured working conditions that bordered on slavery, and the favouring of English workers, who made up about 10% of the work force. Everything was done in English. The English had all the best jobs. After that, French Canadians were
hired as white Negroes to fill the gaps.
- Pierre Vallières, White Niggers of America: The Precocious Autobiography of a Quebec Terrorist
Figure 3 depicts a striker being arrested during a protest.
Photo Analysis.
Historical Analysis Photo
This photo comes from a Legion Magazine article on the October Crisis. According to the caption that was with it, it is of a Canadian Forces solder standing guard duty outside of the Montreal City Hall during the October Crisis.
The unidentified soldier holds what looks to be a Belgian design FN C1 battle rifle, a standard issue for the Army during the time of the Cold War to the present. If I assume, beyond reasonable doubt, the bag on the ground also belongs to him I can infer that either the soldier has just arrived at his post or will be here for a long time. Three more soldiers are also visible in this photo in the background. Two guarding the door about 10 feet behind the one in focus, and one more standing on what appears to be another intersection across the block. This shows the immense amount of security that the government buildings received during the October Crisis.
The subjects in the photo are all male. The soldiers, who are likely between the ages of 20-30 (the one in focus looks to be in his twenties) wear standard issue battle uniforms and the civilians are all wearing suits and appear to be middle-aged working class businessmen or office workers either going to or from work that day in Montreal's downtown core.
There is a great lack of interaction in this photo, but that would probably be the case expected when such instances of collision happen. The civilians would find the soldiers out of place and strange in an environment that is normally familiar and welcoming to them. Of course, they would know what was going on at the time but the sight of soldiers on your city block has a certain unnerving feel to it. The soldiers, on the other hand, probably have been ordered to be vigilant and watchful for any strange activities, so they would be inspecting civilians as they go by, adding to the tension in the situation.
The photograph, according to Legion Magazine, appeared in the Montreal Gazette, so it was definitely taken by a professional reporter/photographer. This would explain the well picked moment, site and orientation of the photo. The photographer picked the exact moment of the civilians passing the soldier, the collision of worlds. The civilians' expression tell a story. The man in front seems to find it almost humourous that the Army has been called in to defend against a small cell of kidnappers, and the man in the back still seems to be trying to accept the fact that this situation is real, that there are really soldiers around the city to guard against further attacks. The soldier remains stone faced and cold, but his slumped shoulders and the fact that he has placed his gun down tell another story, that he is tired and bored.
This photo is very impacting because it brings together two worlds that should never be brought together. The world of war and reality, and the innocence of civilians and city life. This shows how effective the FLQ were in bringing terror to the country and the drastic measures that the government went to to shut them down. No matter how far apart these dimensions were, terror, over-reaction and perseverance on both sides brought them crashing together.
The unidentified soldier holds what looks to be a Belgian design FN C1 battle rifle, a standard issue for the Army during the time of the Cold War to the present. If I assume, beyond reasonable doubt, the bag on the ground also belongs to him I can infer that either the soldier has just arrived at his post or will be here for a long time. Three more soldiers are also visible in this photo in the background. Two guarding the door about 10 feet behind the one in focus, and one more standing on what appears to be another intersection across the block. This shows the immense amount of security that the government buildings received during the October Crisis.
The subjects in the photo are all male. The soldiers, who are likely between the ages of 20-30 (the one in focus looks to be in his twenties) wear standard issue battle uniforms and the civilians are all wearing suits and appear to be middle-aged working class businessmen or office workers either going to or from work that day in Montreal's downtown core.
There is a great lack of interaction in this photo, but that would probably be the case expected when such instances of collision happen. The civilians would find the soldiers out of place and strange in an environment that is normally familiar and welcoming to them. Of course, they would know what was going on at the time but the sight of soldiers on your city block has a certain unnerving feel to it. The soldiers, on the other hand, probably have been ordered to be vigilant and watchful for any strange activities, so they would be inspecting civilians as they go by, adding to the tension in the situation.
The photograph, according to Legion Magazine, appeared in the Montreal Gazette, so it was definitely taken by a professional reporter/photographer. This would explain the well picked moment, site and orientation of the photo. The photographer picked the exact moment of the civilians passing the soldier, the collision of worlds. The civilians' expression tell a story. The man in front seems to find it almost humourous that the Army has been called in to defend against a small cell of kidnappers, and the man in the back still seems to be trying to accept the fact that this situation is real, that there are really soldiers around the city to guard against further attacks. The soldier remains stone faced and cold, but his slumped shoulders and the fact that he has placed his gun down tell another story, that he is tired and bored.
This photo is very impacting because it brings together two worlds that should never be brought together. The world of war and reality, and the innocence of civilians and city life. This shows how effective the FLQ were in bringing terror to the country and the drastic measures that the government went to to shut them down. No matter how far apart these dimensions were, terror, over-reaction and perseverance on both sides brought them crashing together.