After the protest gone awry at Concordia last week, my friend P wondered how displaced separatists would feel about the local politics occurring at home.
The Fires of Separatism are felt Abroad
POOHWIRE: FLORIDA -- Third Avenue in Fort Lauderdale was the scene of a parade of patriotism today, but it's not what you may think. These weren't Americans celebrating their freedom or the fact that the live in the best country in the whole world (that's next week). Rather than waving the proud red, white, and blue flag, these parade goers flew the white and blue, holding only contempt for the red.
That's right: Fort Lauderdale's refugee population from the province of Quebec (Canada) held a rally and a subsequent parade to promote Quebec Separatism, showing an unprecedented amount of solidarity with their northern brothers and sisters.
The parade walkers were draped in Quebec flags, fleur-de-lys caps and shirts, and waving flags of all shapes and sizes. There was nary an American flag or a Canadian flag to be found anywhere. Others distributed Parti Quebecois flyers (the political party that promotes separatism back home) and other brochures that explain their position of having their own independent country (separate from Canada).
"Just because we don't like the cold, that doesn't mean we don't believe in Quebec's future as its own country!" cried Rejean Tousignant into a megaphone to the cheering crowds. "One day, all Quebeckers will know the independence that have eluded them for so long. I say to our Canadian oppressors,
crisez-votre quand de notre pays ("Get the hell off our land")! Quebec pour les quebecois!"
Spontaneous rounds of "Gens du Pays" then erupted from the crowd punctuated with occasional shouts of "Vivre le Quebec... Libre!".
Mario Dumont, the leader of the fledgling ADP (a rising political power in Quebec), was also on hand to walk in the parade. "It's important to show my solidarity with my people, even those who live away from
leur pays," Dumont stated as he marched down the main street. "Besides... my parents have their trailer home right over there."
The demonstration was peaceful for the most part. There was a slight scuffle that occured near a food cart selling
Beaver Tails that ended with the cart being overturned and the vendor, who was wearing a mountie hat and a T-shirt with a Canadian flag emblazoned upon it's front, was stripped practically naked to chants of "Oppression! Oppression! Je me souviens de la bonne poutine chez La Belle Province!" When the police intervened, the crowd dispersed quickly.
"Just because we're not
physiquement in Quebec, dat does not mean dat we do not have families dere who are oppressed by all those fucking blokes!"
"Gaetan! Watch your language," replied this man's wife, smacking him upside the head, knocking his sunglasses loose.
"Oh... mes excuses, ma chouette," the man grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry... I meant to say
les crisse de blokes."
The parade lost its fuel when it reached a set of Bingo halls and fast-food restaurants along the strip and the crowd seemed to melt away. About an hour after the demonstration ended, Premier Bernard Landry turned up in a cab, but once he realized he had missed the whole thing, he was quick to accuse Jean Chretien of wrong doing.
When asked how Jean Chretien was involved, Mr. Landry looked confused for a moment and then shrugged "Sorry... old habit."