Mass Demonstration Against Hate and Racism Planned for November

Over 130 Community Groups Expected to Attend on Nov. 12

NewsMiriam Lafontaine — Published November 1, 2017

As of Wednesday, 136 groups have signed on in support and are expected to attend the rally that’ll be held at Parc Emilie-Gamelin at 2 p.m., by the Berri-UQAM metro station.

Their discontent is not in reaction to one particular event. Instead, it’s in response to a number of recent events in Quebec, said Safa Chebbi, community organizer and board member with Alternatives, an organization for justice and equality in Quebec.

Primarily, they take issue with the recent approval of Bill 62, and are frustrated that Quebecers’ criticism of the law are being ignored.

“When we adopt a law under the guise of religious neutrality under a crucifix [in the National Assembly], that’s systemic racism,” said Chebbi.

In 2013, the Parti Quebecois tried to adopt the Charter of Values, a bill for religious neutrality that hoped to ban face coverings among other things. It didn’t pass and was widely contested.

“We’re seeing today that Liberal Party isn’t doing so much better in that regard,” said Anas Bouslikhane, an anti-racist activist who organizes with Solidarity Across Borders. “They have adopted a law which forces people not to wear clothing that is part of their religious practice.”

Bill 62 was presented as being secular in nature, but groups have denounced it since it targets Muslim women who wear niqabs and burqas. Because the law mainly affects women, co-vice-president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec Marlihan Lopez is calling it out as being sexist.

A number of student associations have signed on, including the provincial Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec, the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante, the Concordia Student Union, as well as the Students’ Society of McGill University.

The groups that have signed on are also denouncing the changes that have been made into the commission into systemic racism in Quebec. In late October, the commission changed its mandate to instead focus on improving job opportunities for minorities and immigrants.

“The abandonment of this commision is not only a betrayal to all those who face discrimination and racism in Quebec, but what’s even worse is that the mandate’s been changed to follow a neoliberal vision instead, one that only focuses at how we can economically profit off the precarious work of immigrants,” Chebbi said.

On Nov. 25, far-right, anti-immigration groups La Meute and Storm Alliance are expected to gather in Quebec City by the National Assembly. Bouslikhane hopes that the same people who attend on Nov. 12 also come out to Solidarity Across Borders’ counter-demonstration that day, so the fight against the far-right continues to build momentum in Quebec.