The Casserole Protest and the Two Solitudes

As a guy who has one foot in each solitude, I know that the Québécois tend to be a little more exuberant than Canadians in the rest of the country.

Especially when it comes to sex, or standing up for their rights. Or beating casseroles in the street in the middle of a raging thunderstorm eh?

But pas ce soir câlisse. Not tonight baby. 

Tonight Les Anglais were marching through the streets, beating pots and pans, from St John's...



To Vancouver...

From Kingston...

To Calgary...

And in dozens of other places all over the country.

It was an awesome show of solidarity with the Quebec students, and all those defying Jean Charest's fascist bill 78. And I couldn't have been more proud of them, or more incredibly moved.

You know the casserole protest has had an amazing effect on the struggle in Montreal. 

Those clanging pots, known as les casseroles, were initially seen as just another tactic, but a remarkable thing happened: Ordinary citizens armed only with kitchenware took back their streets from rock-throwers and riot police. They also pushed student and government leaders back to the negotiating table with fresh hope the conflict might end.

But now I think it could have an even greater effect. It might be bringing us together at last. For in a country where there is so much hideous anti-Quebec feeling, it really is so great to read a message like this one:

Lordy. Or crisse as we say in Québec. Who knew the two solitudes could embrace each other eh? 

And isn't it wonderful?

Golly. You don't think we might dream of even bigger things together? Like crushing Stephen Harper's foul Con regime.

Quebec has kicked off a rêve générale, and together who knows what we'll dream up. Forget Harper. We can imagine a much better world. These may be dark times in Canada, but I hear a lot of hope in the clanging.

Oh definitely. I've got a feeling this is the beginning of a BEAUTIFUL love story.

Way to go my fellow Canadians.

Solidarité/Solidarity FOREVER...



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