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| Quebec shooting rekindles fears over Anglo-French divide | Quebec shooting rekindles fears over Anglo-French divide |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Reports that the gunman at a Parti Québécois victory rally muttered "the English are waking up" in accented French while being escorted to a police cruiser will send a chill through Canada. | Reports that the gunman at a Parti Québécois victory rally muttered "the English are waking up" in accented French while being escorted to a police cruiser will send a chill through Canada. |
| One person died and another was critically injured in the shooting during a speech by the separatist group's leader, Pauline Marois, newly elected as Quebec's premier. To many, the gunman's alleged comments will raise fears that long-simmering tensions between the province's anglophones and francophones, separatists and federalists, are once again coming to the boil. | One person died and another was critically injured in the shooting during a speech by the separatist group's leader, Pauline Marois, newly elected as Quebec's premier. To many, the gunman's alleged comments will raise fears that long-simmering tensions between the province's anglophones and francophones, separatists and federalists, are once again coming to the boil. |
| Tuesday's election took place against a backdrop of corruption scandals involving the Liberal-led administration and widespread protests over tuition increases. The protests, which were supported by PQ, escalated into an Occupy-style "Maple spring" with environmentalist, anti-capitalist and separatist overtones. Police arrested 2,500 people and authorities enacted new legislation restricting public demonstrations in the province. | Tuesday's election took place against a backdrop of corruption scandals involving the Liberal-led administration and widespread protests over tuition increases. The protests, which were supported by PQ, escalated into an Occupy-style "Maple spring" with environmentalist, anti-capitalist and separatist overtones. Police arrested 2,500 people and authorities enacted new legislation restricting public demonstrations in the province. |
| Quebec has held two referendums on secession, the second of which, in 1995, was voted down by a margin of less than 1%. Polls show two-thirds of Québécois say they are not interested in sovereignty, making a third referendum unlikely under Marois's tenure. | Quebec has held two referendums on secession, the second of which, in 1995, was voted down by a margin of less than 1%. Polls show two-thirds of Québécois say they are not interested in sovereignty, making a third referendum unlikely under Marois's tenure. |
| She has pledged to keep her party's separatist agenda alive by pressing the government for gradual gains in autonomy. "We want a country. And we will have it," she said on Wednesday morning before the gunshots sounded and plainclothes security officers whisked her off the stage. | She has pledged to keep her party's separatist agenda alive by pressing the government for gradual gains in autonomy. "We want a country. And we will have it," she said on Wednesday morning before the gunshots sounded and plainclothes security officers whisked her off the stage. |
| Language policy has long been a source of tension in Quebec. Marois has drawn criticism from anglophone groups for proposals to strengthen the province's charter of the French language, often called Bill 101. She has proposed legislation requiring immigrants who run for public office to be proficient in French, and restricting access to English-language junior colleges. | Language policy has long been a source of tension in Quebec. Marois has drawn criticism from anglophone groups for proposals to strengthen the province's charter of the French language, often called Bill 101. She has proposed legislation requiring immigrants who run for public office to be proficient in French, and restricting access to English-language junior colleges. |
| "Ottawa should be worried, but I don't know if they are worried," Antonia Maioni, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said on Tuesday. "Not because of the immediate threat of separation, but because Madame Marois will be rattling the constitutional cage in a way that we haven't seen over the past decade." | "Ottawa should be worried, but I don't know if they are worried," Antonia Maioni, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said on Tuesday. "Not because of the immediate threat of separation, but because Madame Marois will be rattling the constitutional cage in a way that we haven't seen over the past decade." |
| Shootings are rare in Canada, and Quebec's last incidence of political violence was in 1970 when the leftwing labour minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped by a radical Quebec group and later found dead in the trunk of a car. On Wednesday, police were keen to stress that the motive behind the latest incident remained unclear. | Shootings are rare in Canada, and Quebec's last incidence of political violence was in 1970 when the leftwing labour minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped by a radical Quebec group and later found dead in the trunk of a car. On Wednesday, police were keen to stress that the motive behind the latest incident remained unclear. |
| Pundits and politicians called for anglophones and francophones to remain united. "We are appalled by this violence," said Carl Vallee, a spokesman for the federal prime minister, Stephen Harper. The liberal MP Denis Coderre said on Twitter: "We are living through a political attack. We must show solidarity to protect our democracy." | Pundits and politicians called for anglophones and francophones to remain united. "We are appalled by this violence," said Carl Vallee, a spokesman for the federal prime minister, Stephen Harper. The liberal MP Denis Coderre said on Twitter: "We are living through a political attack. We must show solidarity to protect our democracy." |
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