Front de Libération du Québec

[Commie Girl]

AKA The October Crisis

The Front de Libération du Québec (Quebec Liberation Front), commonly known as the FLQ, was a Nationalist terrorist group founded in the 1960s that was part of the Quebec sovereignty movement. Based primarily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, they distinguished themselves by their use of extreme violence and terrorism as a means to achieve their goals. The FLQ was a group of young Québécois whose declarations called for a Marxist/anarchist insurrection, the overthrow of the Quebec government, the independence of Quebec from Canada and the establishment of a workers' society.

.....Early in December 1970, police discovered the location of the kidnappers holding James Cross. His release was negotiated and on December 3, 1970, five of the terrorists were granted their request for safe passage to Cuba by the Government of Canada after approval by Fidel Castro.


Read More (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLQ)

[AnarchoCommunist]

Are you Canadian?

If so, could you give me some info on a urban guerrilla group in Canada in the early 1980s called Direct Action (DA).

I know they bombed some weapons company building in Dec. 1983.

Are they still active and are there any urban guerrilla groups in Canada today?

[We'reTheFirstToDie]

Right now there is no urban guerrilla groups, atleast to my knowledge. I think the last "Guerrila" attack was in the 90's, by the Hells Angels, but I think they just wanted to cause some trouble, not really accoplish anything.Right now we just have Bloc Quebecois, which is a seperist party in Quebec. I believe a former member of the FLQ is a MP in our parliment.

[Commie Girl]

;) Yup, Canadian!!



This is all I can find on Direct Action or The Vancouver Five. Dont think there are any more groups that have done anything substantial......

One of my more vivid childhood memories was a car trip somewhere or another when the news came on the radio that a Litton Industries factory where a component for the U.S.'s new Cruise missile was being made had been blown up by a group calling itself "Direct Action". We all cheered.

In 1981 and 1982 several other attacks (against a hydro sub-station and three pornographic video stores) were carried out in Canada under the banner of Direct Action and the Wimmin’s Fire Brigade.

In early 1983 five members of the Vancouver anarchist scene were arrested for these attacks. Ann Hansen, Doug Stewart, Julie Belmas, Gerry Hannah and Brent Taylor quickly became known as the Vancouver Five.

Full Text (http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/profiles/vancouverfive.html)

An excellent critique follows by Jim Campbell...

Linking anarchism to deliberate acts of violence might seen very natural to most people if they think about anarchism at all. But for most younger anarchists, it must be difficult to imagine that in the early 1980s, armed struggle in Canada not only seemed possible, but a small group coming out of the anarchist community in Vancouver actually engaged in it. Moreover there was small but significant support for all three actions.
As Direct Action and the Wimmen’s Fire Brigade, they never explicitly claimed to be anarchist. For that matter neither did their supporters. We never denied being anarchists either. Our anarchism developed out of political practise rather than theory and history. In this discussion, the word “We” will be referring to the small milieu that the Vancouver Five came out of. Only those five choose to follow their ideas through to a logical conclusion and go underground. But others were influenced by similar developments elsewhere, and shared a desire to shake up Canada politically.

The political context for Direct Action was international. In the mid to late 1970s and into the 1980s the Red Army Fraction in Germany and the Red Brigades in Italy were only the largest of various guerrilla groupings in Europe. Insurrection in Europe seemed possible in spite of the massive level of repression directed against these militants who assassinated and kidnapped politicians and corporate executives. Canadian anarchist papers such as Open Road, Bulldozer and Resistance brought news of these struggles to North America.

Text (http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/profiles/v5/v5_canada.html)

[AnarchoCommunist]

Can anyone tell me about the Revolutionary Communist Party-Organising Committee (RCP-OC/PCR-CO).

Are they serious in their attempt to get people into the armed struggle, as their website seems to just talk about the need for the armed struggle in Canada non-stop.

Are the RCP-OC really setting this up or are some of their members going to form a splinter outside of the party which will do urban guerrilla warfare.

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30 2005, 09:20 PM
Can anyone tell me about the Revolutionary Communist Party-Organising Committee (RCP-OC/PCR-CO).

Are they serious in their attempt to get people into the armed struggle, as their website seems to just talk about the need for the armed struggle in Canada non-stop.

Are the RCP-OC really setting this up or are some of their members going to form a splinter outside of the party which will do urban guerrilla warfare.
i believe that their very serious in their clams ..but i don’t think they have that many supporters because of their extreme mentality

[novemba]

I'm glad to see such radical organizations and parties in a country with such a non-conservative government, or at least compared to the US...this is an issue I wonder about much, Che wrote on the subject, but he believed that people need something to push them over the edge, even in a moderate government, in some lights i believe this to be true, what do you think?

[Eastside Revolt]

The political context for Direct Action was international. In the mid to late 1970s and into the 1980s the Red Army Fraction in Germany and the Red Brigades in Italy were only the largest of various guerrilla groupings in Europe. Insurrection in Europe seemed possible in spite of the massive level of repression directed against these militants who assassinated and kidnapped politicians and corporate executives. Canadian anarchist papers such as Open Road, Bulldozer and Resistance brought news of these struggles to North America.

^^^^^^

I think this paragraph is the most we can learn from Direct Action. Vancouver seems to need outside inspiration. I've heard all sorts of bullshit that DA was only possible from the perspective of "punk culture". But if you look at Vancouver now, the social conditions are far worse, "hip hip culture" is much more widespread than "punk" ever was, and yet nothing is happening. :blink: The main difference is that there are currently no struggles in the western world to speak of, from which to gain inspiration.

[Organic Revolution]

from what i know of the FLQ they were nationalistic.

[Eastside Revolt]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2005, 01:30 AM
I'm glad to see such radical organizations and parties in a country with such a non-conservative government, or at least compared to the US...this is an issue I wonder about much, Che wrote on the subject, but he believed that people need something to push them over the edge, even in a moderate government, in some lights i believe this to be true, what do you think?
I agree that people do seem to need some "push" as Che puts, but when and where to start "pushing" is the tricky part.

[rebelworker]

An excellent film on the FLQ is called October, you can get an english sub titled version. The FLQ was actually aproached by some Black panthers for some sort of alliance, dont think it went anywere. As for today ther is a former FLQer in the parliment, the FLQ no longer exists but there is FLQ graffiti still going up in the east end somewhat regularly. As for Active "revolutionary" seperatisit groups there is one called the MNLQ, (national liberation movement of Quebec) they are lead by a former FLQer and the guy who made the film october like them. Sadly they are a mere shadow politically and in numbers as the FLQ. They are now much more nationalist than revolutionary, ofetn with ties to white supremacist groups and spewing very harsh anti anglaphone(not just english ruling class) and anti immigrant rhetoric, many anti semetic memebers. The are often invloved with Anti racist groups at demonstrations, and have a very open fued going on with both NEFAC and RASH. As for Farladeau, the guy who made the film october(as well as The Party, about prisoners, and Elvis Gratton, a very funny and hugely popular anti american/canadian comedy, sadely he has become a bit senile with age, saying anarchists and communists are american pupets bla bla bla...
If you read french and are from Quebec the june edition of Le Couac(Left Nationalist newspaper) has a letter from farladeau criticising NEFAC, I think there is a response letter coming this issue.


The RCP co are a few burnt out maosits from the seventies ordering around a bunch of young followers.
You can see how out of touch they are by the way they dress a demos, the march around in little cells called "red fists"(a cheap copy of the black block but more hierarchical and militarized, funny they also have a copy of the Anarchist Black Cross called the "red aid" or something that also does political prisoner support work, got to give it to them they saw how strong anarchism was here and wanted to copy it, better than most authoritarians Ive seen). At this years mayday demo they all wore red bandanas and marched in unison, its a fuckin mayday demo for christs sake, a celebration of working class struggle not a fuckin march of the army in red square, most of us had the sense to enjoy a beer and soke in the sun(had to skip out of work without anybody noticing for a few hours to cath the march, would have been the first time Id missed it in years) Point being they are totaly out of step for what is possibl;e right now and just make revolutionaries look like we are crazy.

As for Direct Action, I know that most of them got really demoralized in jail, Ann Hanson was involved in exposing the horrific conditions of the womens federal pen in Kingston and getting it shut down, now shes out workin in a half way home for women prisoners, good stuff but I think she realises the mistake of Vanguardist type tactics. Like the Weather Underground before them a smal grouop tried with good intentions to substitue Direct action for a mass movement, This sort of vanguardism is a huge mistake. Armed struggle is only relevant in countries where it is no longer possible to do above ground organising because of intense state repression, its a dead end. Even in Germany with the Red Army faction there was a much larger and more militant revolutionary mass movement going on, even so the tactic of underground armed struggle, I think, was a mistake. The Black liberation Army was an interesting situation, a black minority under intense repression, not getting the help it needed from the white population. The fact is that most of the "Armed revoltuionaries" in the US were a bunch of privaleged richkids who were totally out of touch with the actual conditions and revolutionary potential of the working class. The all just turned them selves in after a few years and became university proffessors. Hardly an effective tactic, just adventurism. It leads to undermine the work of real above ground revolutionaries, not move the masses to action...

Just a few initial thoughts

In this for the long haul, no shortcuts.
rebelworker

[Anarchist Freedom]

This is a very interesting topic.

[We'reTheFirstToDie]

from what i know of the FLQ they were nationalistic.



They were. They wanted Quebec to become a sovereign nation, but, they still wanted the benefits of the Canadian economy.

[KC]

I own Direct Action!!!!!!!!

It is a REALLY good book. I think anyone interested in "terrorist" groups should read this. It was a really good book written by one of the members. Haha I'm so happy someone brought this up!

[pastradamus]

Originally posted by We'[email protected] 30 2005, 08:38 PM
Right now there is no urban guerrilla groups, atleast to my knowledge. I think the last "Guerrila" attack was in the 90's, by the Hells Angels, but I think they just wanted to cause some trouble, not really accoplish anything.Right now we just have Bloc Quebecois, which is a seperist party in Quebec. I believe a former member of the FLQ is a MP in our parliment.
Are you guys for real? If so Im LMAO! VIVA FRANCAIS!

[Maksym]

The RCP co are a few burnt out maosits from the seventies ordering around a bunch of young followers.
You can see how out of touch they are by the way they dress a demos, the march around in little cells called "red fists"(a cheap copy of the black block but more hierarchical and militarized, funny they also have a copy of the Anarchist Black Cross called the "red aid" or something that also does political prisoner support work, got to give it to them they saw how strong anarchism was here and wanted to copy it, better than most authoritarians Ive seen). At this years mayday demo they all wore red bandanas and marched in unison, its a fuckin mayday demo for christs sake, a celebration of working class struggle not a fuckin march of the army in red square, most of us had the sense to enjoy a beer and soke in the sun(had to skip out of work without anybody noticing for a few hours to cath the march, would have been the first time Id missed it in years) Point being they are totaly out of step for what is possibl;e right now and just make revolutionaries look like we are crazy.

If anyone wants to have a real opinion about the RCP then read the program:

http://www.pcr-rcpcanada.org/en/programme.php

If you are living in Canada then here are the e-mails:

Toronto: [email protected]
Montreal: [email protected]

Do not use your real name or give any specific information when communicating through e-mails.

[chaval]

armed revolution in Canada will never happen (as long as status quo continues). When the working class, the lowest class, can afford to live in a decent house, can go once in a while on vacations, can own a car and put food on the table every day and virtually no opression exists then as far as the masses are concerned there is no need to rise up. besides, like it has been said, Canada is a democracy. if the masses wanted communist government then they'd vote for it.

[Regicidal Insomniac]

The FLQ were sods. I'm not an expert on the era but terrorist agitation seems to have been completely unnecesary; Qubeckers have achieved so much through peaceful reform. Nonetheless, I'm all for seperation if it will weaken the cult of bilingualism in Ontario--I'll spare you my life story and just say this: being an English-speaking immigrant here is the pits.

Direct Action, on the other hand, were a pretty righteous gang. It is unfortunate that their final act carried with it a civilian fatality (and it was actually rather useless) but their attack on the generator in BC was spectacular. The book by Ann Hansen is interesting but poorly written.

[JC1]

The RCP co are a few burnt out maosits from the seventies ordering around a bunch of young followers.
You can see how out of touch they are by the way they dress a demos, the march around in little cells called "red fists"(a cheap copy of the black block but more hierarchical and militarized, funny they also have a copy of the Anarchist Black Cross called the "red aid" or something that also does political prisoner support work, got to give it to them they saw how strong anarchism was here and wanted to copy it, better than most authoritarians Ive seen). At this years mayday demo they all wore red bandanas and marched in unison, its a fuckin mayday demo for christs sake, a celebration of working class struggle not a fuckin march of the army in red square, most of us had the sense to enjoy a beer and soke in the sun(had to skip out of work without anybody noticing for a few hours to cath the march, would have been the first time Id missed it in years) Point being they are totaly out of step for what is possible right now and just make revolutionaries look like we are crazy.


Actualy, the RCP-OC seems to get more people out then the NEFAC does and theremarching photos (http://www.pcr-rcpcanada.org/en/images/action.php) are pretty impresive. Regardin' that jive about the maoists adopting anarchists tactics ... the anarchists actualy are just adpapting Maoist tactics from the sixties. And the "Anarchist Black Cross" was a domestic adaptation of the Finicial networks in suppourt of the Internatinol Birgades in spain ... And let them march anyway they feel (they dont even march like a army).

But leme tell you guys ... insurgency is not an option at this point. Especialy under leadership of the leadership of the RCP-OC, witch is the least displined orginization in canada (All they do is show up for march's). But I dont think the "RC"P is serious about "Peoples War" in canada, its just coping a millitant pose.

[MoscowFarewell]

I knew some Canadians that praised them. The scary part is, those exact Canadians were deeply devoted Nazis.

[rebelworker]

Unfortunately most of the radical seperast groups active in Quebec right now with a few exceptions have at least some ties to far right groups, much of their rhetoric is leftist and they do attract many genuine revolutionaries but their politics is muddied with petty nationalism(like an article in one newspaper in the late nineties, how to kill an anglo with a hammer) and often anti semetic and anti immigrant sentiment.

As for the PCR(co), they probably do have more active members than nefac, but just about everyone else thinks they are totaly crazy. They recruit young unexperienced people with extreem rhetoric and the promise of immediate spectacular action, usually by putting small groups of people in dangerouse and unrealistic situations(if you were at the demo against the liberal party last spring you know what i mean).
Yes their march pictures "look impressive" thats thre point...
All 40 of their members, and I counted them at mayday, carry a red flag.
Looks cool, but the fact is they are totally isolated.

The CLAC called an Anti-Authoritarian contingant(in which NEFAC participated as members of CLAC) which drew hundreds of people, and there was much inter mingling between us and other groups on the left, like the Immigrant Workers Center, Workers Solidarity Network and even the Worker Communist Party of Iran exiles marched with us(they have heard of us and want to learn more about Anarchist Communism).

NEFAC dose not claim to be the vanguard, we do try and work as a dedicated body of diciplined and experienced revolutionaries to spread our ideas among members of our class, we so far are doing pretty well considering the immense challanges we face in the extreem low point of revolutionary consiousness we are in.

The PCR(co) is totally out of touch with the working class and all social movements in quebec right now, with the exception of a few adheirents within the youngest layer of the student movement. Adventurism and overexagerating our stength dose not a revolution build, their leadership should know this by know.

In solidarity,
rebelworker

PS the Anarchist Black Cross was actually founded much ealrier than the International brigades to aid Class War prisoners in Russia under the Czar.

[ellipsis]

i just finnished a thesis on the FLQ, you can read about the group on my blog as well The Revolution Script (http://therevolutionscript.blogspot.com/search/label/FLQ)

[RNK]

As for the PCR(co), they probably do have more active members than nefac,...


All 40 of their members, and I counted them at mayday, carry a red flag.

So what you're saying is, NEFAC probably has less than 40? That's good to know. I thought they had more.

And no, not everybody carries a flag. There usually aren't enough to go around. :lol:

Anyway, it's rather redundant hearing your in-depth critique of the RCP (it's RCP, not RCPoc, btw), as its essentially the same mirrored by the anarchists here in Quebec. "They're crazy, they're militant, composed of crazy militant youth" (which, btw, astonishes me, coming from an anarchist, whose demonstrations are usually composed of college kids dressed up like clowns or mimes; infact, I don't think I've ever seen an anarchist over the age of 25...). Especially considering that, according to you, May Day should be celebrated via getting drunk and soaking up sunrays. Excuse the RCP for showing a united offensive front against capitalism on such a "holy" day.

And also, it's nice to hear you've gained such international notoriety in your "anti-authoritarian contingent" (what is that, anyway?). Funny thing is, those Iranian comrades are probably the same who frequent RCP rallies and demos, along with the Filipino community here in Montreal.

One thing is for sure, though; you're obviously very hostile towards people not like yourself. I can only imagine the anti-communist undertones that took place at your "anti-authoritarian contingent". It strikes me that perhaps if you put as much effort into fighting capitalism as you do in fighting revolutionaries, you might actually tap into the success the RCP has managed. Because despite petty sectarianists like you in the anarchist movement, the RCP has made quite a few friends and has had quite a lot of success over the past year since its official founding (when it went from Organizing Committees to the proper RCP). This past summer they held half a dozen demonstrations all over southern Quebec, the pinnacle of which was probably the demonstration at the Quebec Social Forum (which I hear you anarchists refused to participate in) which drew in over 100 people as well as activists in the Iranian and Philippines communities, the Quebec Bolivarian Society and some others I can't remember at the moment. It was quite successful; I imagine it would have been moreso if you anarchists had bothered trying to control your deep inner hatred of all things organizational and participated in (which you were invited to do).

However I think maybe your anarchist clique will soon become redundant entirely. While your "contingents" are usually an impressive collaboration of different yet virtually identical groups who come together for something or another, I'd much prefer the anti-imperialist collaboration the RCP, the SBQ, the Filipino, Haitian and Iranian communities seem to be putting together. At last, an anti-imperialist, revolutionary vanguard umbrella group that will not only be capable of uniting a broad revolutionary spectrum into advancing revolutionary struggle here in Canada, but also a group able to do so without clown costumes!

http://revolutionseulesolution.org

Wow, I didnt realize so many groups were involved, including Anarkia.. ergg! Must eat foot.

Anyway, rebelworker, your concerns are valid (if misplaced) and at the very least you show some semblence of knowledge (however inaccurate). I'd urge you and your friends to try and take part in this year's organization for May Day with the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Campaign. You may just find that the RCP is more than a bunch of old farts leading a bunch of young idiots. Or you can stay in your anarchist clique and criticize from the outside, confident in the knowledge that you will be vindicated by history. Suit yourself. The RCP has better things to do than attack other leftists. You should come to the fundraising party that this campaign is holding this Saturday. Here is the info:

Fundraising Party
In Montreal, Canada
January 12, 2008,
Starting at 7pm,
At “Le Rhizome”

(1800 Létourneux, corner of
Lafontaine, near Pie-9 Metro,
10 min. on foot or take bus 139)

And see the thread in Events and Propaganda section. Maybe we can discuss further. :)

[FireFry]

Anarchists seek to over throw the state apparatus of yielding power.
Communists seek to over throw the class apparatus of yielding power. We all know, that both go hand in hand. Where there are states, there is classes, where there is classes, there are states.

You cant abolish a state and not abolish it's classes, and you can't abolish the classes without abolishing the state. We also need to remember that the proletariat makes up 9/10ths of the world population, and that "bourgoisie counter-revolutionaries" are ever really legitimately found in any Communist Party -- there is typically, just communists in power and communists not in power. Which is a very shit deal. And the communists who have seized the state to establish a "dictatorship of the proletariat" typically repress the communists who haven't seized the state and aren't a part of the party as counter-revolutionaries. As we saw in the USSR.

[ellipsis]

ok... off topic...