Interview with Nathalie Provost, Polytechnique survivor | “We are less protected in 2021 than in 1989”

The memory of the Polytechnique massacre, 32 years ago this Monday, takes on a special color for survivors and witnesses this year, in the wake of a series of murders of women across Quebec and shootings across the country. Montreal. And more than ever, the PolySeSouvient collective denounces the federal inaction to tackle handguns.

Mayssa Ferah
Press

” It’s a disaster. We are less protected in 2021 than in 1989, ”said Nathalie Provost. She received four projectiles on December 6, 1989, when 14 women were killed for being women.

Of course, there is no link between the murder of Meriem Boundaoui, killed last February by a stray bullet, and the tragedy of Polytechnique. But the multiple events involving firearms in the metropolis torment the survivor of the killing.

When talking about the death of Thomas Trudel, shot dead in November, Nathalie Provost gives a heavy sigh of meaning. Then after a brief silence, she said: “What this causes in me is the return of fear. I’m sad about this comeback in my life. You never become fully functional again after an event involving a weapon. The fear of the stray bullet is awful. ”

Each year, Nathalie Provost is asked to speak about the tragedy of Polytechnique. And every year, she speaks up again in the hope of ending gun violence.

With each commemoration, his dissatisfaction with the inaction of the federal government increases.

“So try to find me strong and permanent Liberal action on guns. Handguns are a federal responsibility. We must stop throwing the ball and send a clear message: we do not want it. ”

Far from the goal

The PolySeSouvient collective is not kind to the government of Justin Trudeau. The group denounces the emptiness of Bill C-21 on gun control. It does not go far enough, he pleads.

The group that is fighting for better gun control, especially handguns, criticizes the lack of a forced buy-back program for banned assault weapons. For the moment, nothing obliges the owners to return them to the authorities, despite promises to this effect from Justin Trudeau’s party.

Until now, Ottawa has remained stuck on the idea of ​​leaving it to the cities to ban them.

Everything is on the table to feed the resale market, believes Heidi Rathjen, coordinator of PolySeSouvient.

What had been won after the tragedy of Poly, in particular a federal gun registry, was destroyed under the Harper administration, argues the collective. “But it was never rebuilt under the Liberals. There is a weakening of gun control while we are witnessing an increase in feminicides and several shootings. ”

According to the collective, by backing off on its promise to force outlets to ensure that buyers of unrestricted firearms have a valid license, the Liberals are feeding the status quo.

The federal government has not done anything concrete on the ground, she repeats. Assault weapons are theoretically prohibited, but most remain in the hands of their owners.

Checking a buyer’s license is the basis of an effective gun control policy, say PolySeSouvient members.

Weapon culture

“The climate of insecurity is pushing more and more people to arm themselves. We do not want to move in a direction that does not correspond to the values ​​of Canadians. We do not want the proliferation of arms culture, ”Judge Heidi Rathjen.

Banning handguns and not leaving everything to the municipalities would therefore send a clear message to the entire population, whether they are individuals linked to crime or not, thinks the spokesperson.

“The gun lobby promotes the use of guns for personal defense. They do not do it openly, but advocate that we begin to see the weapon as an instrument of protection. Between this discourse shared by criminals and the gun lobby, there is only one step. ”

To stop the scourge, you need a certain political courage, she pleads. It goes through the desire to make pistols less accessible.

Illegal weapons are already illegal, of course. “It’s a question of police operations. But it also takes political courage to decide to intervene in sectors where they are known to circulate. “

She fears that a point of no return has been crossed as far as legal, prohibited or restricted weapons are concerned.

“I trust the new generation”

Nathalie Provost is not necessarily opposed to more severe penalties for possession of firearms. But heavier punishments are sometimes ineffective in countering the rise in violence, she argues. “In current marital murders or shootings, there is the impulsiveness factor. The decision to shoot is quick and emotional, the suspect does not think about the consequences at this point. A clear message from Ottawa would therefore be welcome, she says.

Murders of women which multiply. Kill in Nova Scotia, the worst in modern Canadian history. Settling of scores between young suspects who make innocent victims. The last few years have not been encouraging for anyone campaigning against handguns or violence against women, admits Nathalie Provost. The federal government’s inaction disconcerts it even more in this context. Despite everything, she remains hopeful. Montreal has not become dangerous, she emphasizes. “I am continuing my fight because I have confidence in the new generation. Some people call them a woke, but the 20 to 30-year-old generation is mobilizing much more against violence. ”

She welcomes the marches in certain neighborhoods affected by the shootings, the positions taken by young people on social networks, the wind of change and the rejection of the status quo. “Maybe they’ll save us, in the end. ”