Thousands of people are protesting against Bill 96 in downtown Montreal with slogans such as “cegep is my choice”.
“We can all agree that French is a very important language that we must preserve, but to the detriment of the educational choices of young adults? Nope ! declared the president of the Vanier Cégep student association, Isabella Giosi, in front of hundreds of people – mostly English-speaking – gathered in front of the entrance to Dawson College on Saturday morning.
Isabelle Giossi is against the cap on the number of places available in the English-speaking college network, provided for in the bill on the official and common language, French. “Restricting our choices will not only affect the opportunity to learn another language, it will affect the careers we will pursue, the connections we will make, but more specifically it will lower [dégrader] the image of being a community open to diversity. CEGEP is a choice! she also said before being warmly applauded.
The leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Dominique Anglade, – who has swelled the ranks of opponents of the “divisive” bill strengthening the Charter of the French language – was in the background.
She was greeted with applause and boos on the Dawson College campus. “I say to the English-speaking community: we have always been there to support them. […] We voted against Bill 21 (An Act respecting the secularism of the Quebec state) because it went too far. We are going to vote against Bill 96 because it goes too far,” the leader of the official opposition in the National Assembly told the press.
Away, Lydia heaved sighs of exasperation at the sight of Dominique Anglade, as well as other deputies and liberal activists, who had donned a red t-shirt for the occasion. “Initially, she [Dominique Anglade] supported Bill 96. There, she is against it. In addition, it was her elected officials who put in Jolin-Barrette’s head the idea of forcing students from English-speaking CEGEPs to take French courses, ”she maintains, ignoring the political formation she will support during the next general elections on October 3. “I love Quebec, but I’m afraid. »
Municipal, Quebec and Canadian elected officials demonstrate “enormous courage” by appearing arm in arm with opponents of Bill 96, argued the president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Marlene Jennings, who has been repeating since a year since the bill signed by Simon Jolin-Barrette will limit access to education, health care, justice and government services offered in English. “Thank you François Legault. It is because of you that we are gathered here this morning, ”she launched, not without irony, to the crowd gathered in front of her. “We are here because we are all Quebecers,” she added.
According to Marlene Jennings, former Prime Minister René Lévesque would say he is “horrified” by Bill 96 because it collides head-on with the Quebec Charter of Human Rights.
A discriminatory bill
Norma and Cheryl, two young nonagenarians sitting on their walkers, denounce a bill that discriminates against Anglophones, which is contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, they pointed out.
Access to health services will be more difficult for English-speaking Quebecers in the wake of the adoption of the bill on the official and common language, French, which is expected at the end of the month, lamented Norma , while brandishing a poster on which one can read “96 Jolin-Barrette directs Legault”. “It is not for us that we are demonstrating, it is for our grandchildren,” she said.
Rebecca, a biology professor at Concordia University, is particularly concerned that “immigrants and refugees who may not speak perfect French” may have difficulty understanding their doctor, if the latter is required to speak them in French as she fears. “And the doctors speak English. All scientists, we have to speak English. I am concerned that it is no longer legal for doctors to provide services that they are able to provide,” she said, while mentioning in passing that the quality of French courses offered to elementary school students and English secondary schools is often “terrible”.
The municipal councilor of the City of Côte-Saint-Luc, Andee Shuster, showed up at the demonstration against the Quebec government’s language policy with a sign presenting “Bill 96” in the guise of a “poo”. “We can be bilingual and proud of it without Anglophones suffering from it and being considered second-rate Quebecers,” she said, while describing herself as a “proud Montrealer, proud Quebecer, proud bilingual “.
Behind her, a young woman was distributing small Quebec flags to the four winds.
Further details will follow.