It's a striking scene, Justin Trudeau celebrating Quebec's Fête nationale in his Montreal riding, being confronted by an angry protester.
And forced to defend his right to call the province his home, and stand his ground.
“You came to speak English to us?” the man asked in French. “Isn’t your party next week?” The man then suggested Trudeau had come to “bother us at home,” to which Trudeau replied, “I am home.”
“There’s no place for intolerance here,” Trudeau said to the man, who was quickly pulled away by the prime minister’s security team.
Just like his father had to do fifty years ago.
When other angry, but more violent nationalist protesters tried to drive Pierre Trudeau from his seat at the then called St. Jean Baptiste Day parade, by pelting him with rocks and bottles.
But he would not be moved.
As you can see, if you wish, in this archival footage from Radio Canada which was broadcasting the parade live...
And when I look at that footage, and I look at this picture again...
I am struck by three things:
One, some things never change. There are always people in this country, and all over the world, who like to tell others they don't belong.
And the problem is getting worse not better.
Two, in the violent times we live in why was that angry bigot allowed to get so close to the Prime Minister?
Especially at a time when Andrew Scheer has been bad mouthing Trudeau all over Quebec, accusing him of not being hard enough on asylum seekers...
While playing footsie with the kind of right-wing nationalists who hate Justin Trudeau for promoting tolerance...
And like that goon who confronted Trudeau call him a traitor.
L’homme a rapidement été éloigné par des agents de sécurité et des policiers, qui lui ont intimé d’agir avec politesse, ce à quoi l’opposant a rétorqué qu’il n’avait pas à être poli avec un «traître».
When in fact it's Scheer who should be called a traitor to our values.
And three, and on a happier note.
Like father like son...
So very different, but when it comes to dealing with bigotry.
So much the same.
Happy, happy everyone.
Joyeuse Fête nationale...
The Conservatives embrace of Separatists is another sign of their unfitness to be in office. It politics Yugolsavic style.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve... I don't have any problem with the real separatists, who at this point at least can all be squeezed into a Volkswagen bus and/or a phone booth. What I object to is the way Scheer is playing footsie with racist and xenophobic nationalists who are a growing problem in Québec, and need to be confronted rather than cuddled...
Delete"One, some things never change. There are always people in this country, and all over the world, who like to tell others they don't belong."
ReplyDeleteLOL! you and the rest of the Trudeau hacks basically do it on a daily basis with anyone who doesn't support the PM?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance
DeleteSimon, I wish you would be more coherent in terms of the right to national self-determination, instead of taking such a different line on Scotland and on Québec. My older friends who were arrested by Boubou and Trudeau père saw them as bullies, not heroes. There is no evidence as of now that the protester was either violent or connected to rightwing bigots. He was not confronting Justin because his mum is an anglophone, but because of his agenda.
DeleteIn the meantime, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was also at that park, supporting our candidate Andrés Fontecilla in the corresponding Québec riding (Laurier-Dorion) and speaking out for a progressive and inclusive Québec that refused to support pipelines imposed on us as well as other policies. There are, and always have been, right-wing nationalists, in Scotland, in Québec, in Euskadi, in Catalonia and elsewhere. And also very progressive advocates of national liberation.
In a democracy, people have the right to confront elected officials, as long as they do so peacefully. Obviously Trudeau fils is not anywhere near as heinous as Scheer, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism or protests.
hi anon@1:08 PM... What are you talking about? I don't tell Cons they don't belong in Canada, I just tell them they should start acting like Canadians. There is a difference you know. And BTW why do you call Liberal supporters "Trudeau hacks" ? When you're a Scheer shucker and there is nothing lower...
DeleteHi anon@ 4:45 PM... I had no idea I was a follower of Karl Popper:
DeleteThe paradox of tolerance was described by Karl Popper in 1945. The paradox states that if a society is tolerant without limit, their ability to be tolerant will eventually be seized or destroyed by the intolerant. Popper came to the seemingly paradoxical conclusion that in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance.
But I do believe that we have to be far less tolerant of bigots, or they will turn our country into a jungle...
@anon 4:45PM -- No one is saying that you don't have the right to disagree with Justin Trudeau, Pierre Trudeau or the Liberal Party now or then. The problem that reasonable and decent people have is when mouth-breathing morons (the vast majority of whom tend to be right-wingers and, thus, Trump/Scheer hacks) come up with lies or call him names or wage unacceptable attacks on his wife and even his little kids, his mom and his poor dead brother.
DeleteWe Americans dealt with this sort of thing for eight years arguing against gruesome, racist attacks on Barack and Michelle Obama and even the Obama girls. Hillary Clinton has faced the most asinine and fanatical conspiracy theories for 30 years accusing her of everything from child sex trafficking to murder. Chelsea Clinton herself has been met with vile bullying from con hacks since she was 11 years old. Are there legitimate things to find civil disagreement with the Obamas, Clintons or Trudeaus about? 'Course there are, and that's what makes for a healthy democracy. What does not make for healthy debate is baseless accusations of "treason" or "betrayal" or the kind of projection that it seems con artists like Scheer, Trump and the GOP/CRAP hate brigade have turned into a de facto religion and way of life.
If you can't back up your assertions with fact-based evidence or have nothing to offer besides ad-hominem attacks and intolerable cruelty towards little kids, moms and dead people, then by all means STFU and let the adults have control of the table. While you're at it, please refrain from throwing Starburst candies in anyone's direction like the orange brat does when confronted by an actual civilized grownup. Not only would that be incredibly rude, it's assault -- and a waste of a perfectly good Starburst.
Hi lagatta...I on the other hand believe it's you who should be a lot more coherent, or at least take your blinkers off. When a goon like that one calls the Prime Minister a "traitor," makes speaking English sound like a crime, and tells Trudeau he doesn't belong in Québec he's a rude and intolerant asshole and not a nationalist hero in my book.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, what do the "crimes" of Pierre Trudeau and Robert Bourassa have to do with Justin?
And lastly but not leastly, will you please stop comparing the Scottish independence movement, which is vibrant, growing, and celebrates diversity, to the Quebec independence movement which with the exception of the QS rump, is an atrophying, aging, and increasingly xenophobic movement going absolutely nowhere.
The day Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is in popular enough to become the Premier of Québec, gimme a call, and I might actually go and campaign for him. But until then please take those blinkers off and realize that our province is becoming an intolerant sewer...
Trudeau père and Bourassa's behaviour have nothing to do with Justin, but you were the one celebrating what many people here viewed as arrogance. I certainly wasn't blaming Justin for his dad; you put those clips in your blog; I didn't.
ReplyDeleteThe comparison has to do with the right to national self-determination. I don't like La Meute any more than you do. Most of the right wing here is actually federalist, whether the Liberals or the CAQ.
I have no difficulty with the public getting that close to our P.M. It clear demonstrates he doesn't hide behind security teams. He stands his ground and speaks his mind. Its a great e.g. to all Canadians and to people every where in the world. Our leader his not afraid of the citizens of the country and he is not remote from his country. Its one of the things I like about Trudeau, he is right out there and not afraid.
ReplyDelete