On October 5, 1970 British Diplomat James Cross was kidnapped at gunpoint, followed by the kidnapping of Canadian Cabinet Minister Piere Laporte five days later, by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), who claimed responsibility for both of these events. The FLQ was a group of Quebec nationalists who aimed to create an independent Quebec as a means to combat against English colonialism. In the eyes of this extremist group oppressed French Canadiens and was still rampant in Canada in the late 20th Century. The shockwaves of these events not only held consequences for the FLQ but also caused widespread backlash towards the government of Canada, as they invoked the War Measures Act. The use of the Act allowed for the search and seizure of individuals property and arrests without a need for a warrant. Many people viewed this as an infringement on their rights set by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as many did not see the reason for the War Measures Act to be invoked at this time. Nevertheless, the Canadian government viewed the kidnapping of Laporte as a threat to the country, therefore invoking the War Measures Act. In this exhibit you will see that the invocation of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis of 1970 was a powerful and tenacious move by the Canadian Federal Government. Some question if it was indeed the correct response or only caused the conflict to grow more intense due to the paranoia of Canadian government officials. Furthermore, as the observers look through the exhibit they may ask themselves if the War Measures Act did infringe on the rights of Canadians or was the government doing their due diligence to protect its citizens? The artifacts, such as the First Page of the War Measures Act, “Soldier and Child”, and Tables for People to Send Telegrams to Prime Minister Trudeau, Protesting the War Measures Act; will provide the observer with enough historical background to reach their own conclusions as to how and if the War Measures Act was needed in this conflict. The October Crisis of 1970 is a defining moment in Canadian history and therefore requires observers to think critically about the actions taken by the Canadian government during this period.
Bibliogarphy:
Crelinsten, R.D. 1987. “The Internal Dynamics of the Flq during the October Crisis of 1970.” Journal of Strategic Studies 10 (4): 59-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402398708437315.
Munroe, H.D. 2009. “The October Crisis Revisited: Counterterrorism as Strategic Choice, Political Result, and Organizational Practice.” Terrorism and Political Violence 21 (2): 288-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546550902765623.