The October Crisis began with the kidnapping of two dignitaries by Quebec separatists in 1970. The Canadian government sent troops, leading to the arrest of some FLQ members. The crisis ended with the release of one hostage and the death of the other. The aftermath led to a debate about separatism and government intervention, and the FLQ reemerged. The McDonald Commission ruled that the RCMP exceeded its authority during the investigation.
The October Crisis, an incident in Canadian history, began with the kidnapping of two dignitaries by Quebec separatists on October 5, 1970. The Quebec Liberation Front (FLQ) was responsible for the kidnappings. Regional officials asked the Canadian government for assistance, which responded by sending troops. This federal assistance brought a small group of FLQ members to justice, but raised questions about excessive government intervention. Aftermath of the October crisis included the rise of a more moderate Parti Quebecois and an investigation into the use of federal intervention in Quebec.
This incident began with the kidnapping of British diplomat James Cross on the morning of 5 October 1970. Representatives of a radical cell in the FLQ demanded freedom for the imprisoned separatists and a provincial broadcast of their grievances. National broadcaster Radio Canada allowed the group to address Quebec listeners on the evening of October 8, 1970. This speech reiterated the previous conditions for Cross’s release, emphasizing the FLQ’s desire for Quebec’s freedom from the rest of the Canada. The provincial government of Quebec began negotiating with the FLQ cell to obtain the freedom of the Cross.
Another group within the FLQ escalated the October crisis by kidnapping Quebec Minister Pierre LaPorte on October 10, 1970. While local and regional police searched for LaPorte, Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa requested military assistance from the federal government on October 15. October 1970. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act of 1914 before sending the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to assist law enforcement in the search for LaPorte. This act allowed for the ban of FLQ and the arrest of nearly 500 suspected collaborators without legal proceedings.
On October 17, 1970, Quebec and RCMP agents found LaPorte dead in the back of a car in Montreal. The next two months were marked by constant arrests and interrogations of suspected FLQ members. James Cross was freed on December 3, 1970 in exchange for the kidnappers free passage to Cuba. Pierre LaPorte’s kidnappers were arrested on December 28, 1970 and later convicted of kidnapping and murder. The last RCMP troops sent under the War Measures Act would leave Quebec by April 1971.
The conclusion of the October crisis led to a major debate about separatism in Quebec along with the federal government’s role in the affair. The FLQ reemerged after the crisis even as it became less important to Quebec separatists than the more moderate Parti Quebecois. This ongoing separation controversy divided French-Canadians who opposed the use of the RCMP and Anglo-Canadians who supported Trudeau’s actions. Canadians revisited the October Crisis during the McDonald Commission proceedings in 1977. This commission ruled that the RCMP had exceeded its authority during the investigation and that the federal courts should have been consulted before the law was invoked. war measures.
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