YOUNG SOCIALISTS INTERVIEW QUEPEC S#PARATISTS fron Dove Jindsor
I thought that this item would be of interest to readerg in view of the various mislending statements made about the Quebec Scpafist movement on the occasion of the Queen's visit to Canada. It has been extracted (and somewhat shortened) from Young Socialist Forum* October issue.
Montreal - Rue de La Visitation, in east-central Montreal. Block upon block of decrepit houses, sagging porches, broken sidewalks. Suddenly you see it, the neon sign looming above the darkened streets "Ecole de Boxe Reggie Chartrand", The brick wall festooned with fleur-de-lis flags, emblazoned with slogans: "Quebecois, learn how to defend yourselves", "Quebec Libre!" Inside, close to 200 youth, a sprinkling of adults among them, pack the flag-draped gym. Standing room only left. Young workers for the most, many of them girls, a few students as well, they have come, as every Wednesday night at 8.00, to hear the leading separatists orators hold forth. In the centre of the ring, a microphone, and to one side, an old piano. Conversation subsides, little groups break off, everyone listens attentively. A brief welcome from the chairman, then the first speaker, Pierre Verdy, young lawyer for Le Rassemblement pour _1'Independance Nationale (RIN) climbs through the ropes and enters the ring, Clearly and concisely, he analyses the strategy of previous demonstrations....Most of his audience is clearly committed to the separatist cause - many of them are members of the nilitant openly socialist orientated Front Republicain pour _1'Independance - and the loudest applause greets the speaker's attacks on the police brutality and courtroom injustice suffered by the "independ-~ antists."...he concludes by stressing the necessity for disciplined tactics, and advocates strengthening the movement's “service d'ordre" (defence guards), in order to take the maintenance of order out of police hands.
Another speaker. Gilles Grenier, launches a hard-hitting attack upon Confederation, “the political instrument of 'Canadian' ownership and control of our resources and industry, our very culture." To tumultuous applause, he solidarises the separatist movement with current labour struggles in QuebeceeeeeAn intermission, with French-Canadian singing star Mare Gelinas leading a rousing sing-song. The oes 2 is taken up by a bevy of very attractive girls. And then - the initable Reggie Chartrand, twice Golden Gloves heavy-weight champion, now restaurant worker and leader of Les Chealiers (Knights) de l'Independance, an organisation comprising the youthful "students" of his part-time boxing...
After the meeting, Reggie gladly consents to an interview for YSF, Young SOCIALIST Forum?, Why, of course! I'm a socialist myself, There's no other way out, and you can quote me on that anywhere. Teople all over the world are starving because of the capitalist system; but right here in Quebec there are people who're so rich they won't even bother to bend over and tie their own shoes. And do you notice? - almost all of them are English Canadians. This can't continue.....The people's eyes in Quebec are turning more and more to the left. Me, I take my hat off to Castro- he lifted the Cuban people from the gutter and made them human beings.’ We asked Reggie if he ‘las any message for English-Carmdien youth. "Yes", he replies thoughtfully, “the most important thing they can do, for their own sake as well as ours, is to fight imperialism in all its forms, wherever it is. The struggle for Quebec indeprience is our affair, but we can always do with some help from our sympathisers in English-Canada. It's up to the youth." * YSF can be obtained from: P.O. Box 939, Adelaide St. P.O. Toronto 1, Canada.