Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) separatist group founded in the 1960s
Essentially a terrorist group
Mainly youth
Used violence to achieve their goals
Received training in guerilla warfare
From 1963-1970 committed 200 political actions including bombings and bank robberies
Oct. 5, 1970 four FLQ kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross
They demanded a ransom of 500,000 and transport to Cuba, be allowed to read the FLQ manifesto in public and release all FLQ “political prisoners”
Five days later they kidnapped Vice-Premier Pierre Laporte
Laporte wrote a letter to Premier Robert Bourassa pleading for him give in
On Oct. 17 Laporte’s dead body was found in the trunk of a car
Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to have manifesto read over the radio and transport five FLQ terrorists to Cuba in exchange for the release of James Cross
Summary
in the 1960s a group of young Quebecois separatists formed called the Front de Liberations Du Quebec (FLQ). The group used violence and terrorism, many had training guerilla warfare, to achieve goals and things they wanted. From 1960 to 1970 the group comitted 200 political actions, such as bombings and bank robberies. These violent incidents evidently killed eight people and injured many more. The most substantial of the attacks was the the bombing of the Montreal Stock Exchange in 1969 These attacks culminated in 1970 with what is known as the October Crisis. On the fifth of October four members of the group kidnapped a British Trade Commissioner named James Cross and demanded a ransom of 500,000 dollars and transport to Cuba, where they wouldn’t be prosecuted for their actions, since Cuba was communist. Five days later the Vice Premier of Quebec, Pierre Laporte was kidnapped, and later pleaded for premier Robert Bourassa to give into the demands. Unfortunately on October 17th Laporte’s body was found dead in the trunk of a car. Prime Minister Trudeau then agreed to have an announcement over the radio and agreed to the transportation of five FLQ terrorists in exchange for the release of James Cross. Because of these frightening events, Canadian government introduced the War Measures Act again, which hadn’t been used since WWII, and conducted thousands of random searches and many people were investigated and put in jail because having a membership or being thought to have a membership or relarion to the FLQ became a crime. There then began a huge rumour and conspiracy to overthrow the Canadian Government.