Anti-abortion group in Quebec City meets resistance from feminist organizations
Pro-choice counter-protesters concerned about government and police hypocrisy
Campagne Québec-Vie (CQV), a Christian anti-choice and anti-2SLGBTQI+ organization, gathered in front of Saint-Charles-Garnier Church to pray against abortions on Sunday, Oct. 4, in Quebec City. This was one of more than 30 events this group and its affiliated groups organized that day in Quebec City.
At 2 p.m., a large crowd of about 150 counter-protesters, adults and children, and around 20 members of CQV were present. There was no police presence.
On the counter-protest side, many organizations and groups were present, including the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Regroupement des groupes des femmes de la Capitale-Nationale, Québec Antifasciste, a Black Bloc and members of Québec solidaire.
Mélanie Pelletier, vice president of feminine condition at CSN Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches, said that it is important to stand up for women's right to choose.
“It's important because we represent women; women are more than 50 per cent of our members; it should not even be a debate. It's a right; it's free choice,” Pelletier said. "This is what we preach. We don't understand why religious organizations try to regress women's rights."
Not long after the protest started, some people from Femen Québec, who had hidden among the CQV crowd, got up and removed their shirts, revealing messages written on their skin like “Amen Femen,” the name of an international feminist organization founded in Ukraine in 2008 that is known for protesting topless with slogans written on their bodies, and “Feminist as long as it takes.”
Feminist influencer Anne Marie Gagné believes that it is important to show up and remind people about women’s rights.
“The fight for our rights has always been debated, and all our rights are not granted,” Gagné said. "It's important to show we have the rights to our own bodies, show we have [had] enough of politicians and men trying to control our bodies."
Many altercations occurred between the two groups, both verbal and physical. Some individuals ripped the anti-abortion signs, leading to physical disputes and insults.
As the tensions continued rising, the counter-protesters, including the three shirtless women, blocked the street and diverted traffic through the church parking lot. Many cars on the opposite side of the road encouraged the pro-choice crowd by honking their horns, joining the already loud music.
“There's no place in Canada and Quebec for this kind of speech. For year after year, anti-abortion laws arrive in federal chambers. There is no place for that,” protester Anne Valerie Breton said. "We already have so much trouble accessing healthcare in farther regions. Some don't even have access to it."
At 2:25 p.m., police arrived and removed the crowd from the road, forcing both groups into a smaller space and further increasing tension.
“The fight for our rights has always been debated, and all our rights are not granted. It’s important to show we have the rights to our own bodies, show we have [had] enough of politicians and men trying to control our bodies.” — Anne Marie Gagné
The police had to come in and remove the CQV group, who were stuck in a mass of pro-choice protesters. After the two groups separated, a line of police surrounded the CQV.
There were a couple of altercations between Quebec City Antifa members and the police, but no arrests were made.
Many groups and individuals present were questioning the hypocrisy of the city and Quebec City police for letting CQV publicly pray while actively oppressing prayers in school and pro-Palestine protests.
Additionally, the pro-choice groups involved in the protest questioned why the Quebec government allowed this kind of event, which they believe directly oppresses women and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
“There's more than 320 events like this in Canada today; we checked on their website. It's crazy,” counter-protest attendee Camille Lemieux said.
At 3 p.m., after significant pushback from protesters, CQV members dispersed and were escorted by police officers to their vehicles.
The counter-protesters chanted “Québec pro-choix” and dispersed 15 minutes later. The feminist collective La Riposte released a statement after the protest, celebrating the day as a victory.
“This afternoon's event is a pro-choice victory which shows feminists are ready to mobilize against attempts to control oppressed and marginalized bodies by conservative ideas,” La Riposte’s statement said.
Several days after the event, CQV released a statement thanking individuals across the city and Canada for their participation in the various demonstrations.
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