Demo for French on Saturday
There will be a demonstration in defence of French on Saturday afternoon in Place Vauquelin.
La Presse solicited suggestions from readers on how to protect French.
TVA is running a piece by André Pratte on whether French is in decline in a climate where even questioning this can be politically dicey.
Daniel 14:48 on 2020-11-28 Permalink
The reader ideas on how to protect French was a fascinating read. For some of them, I nodded or shrugged. For some, my jaw-dropped — people seem to believe that Quebec could control the languages that people speak outside of Quebec? LOLZ. No.
It did make me wonder: How many of those suggestions were made by people who do not work or have not worked in an age or an industry where the rest of the world is a click (or at most, a phone call — quelle horreur!) away?
Kevin 17:40 on 2020-11-28 Permalink
I gave up after reading two suggestions to do things that are already done, and two suggestions that violate human rights.
Jack 18:52 on 2020-11-28 Permalink
The French language in Montreal is not in decline. More people speak French in Montreal then at anytime since the 1830’s. Montreal has never been an exclusively French speaking city. The only thing in decline is French origin Quebecers. If you say that in Quebec now you are excommunicated. The “decline” of French is a way for our political class to be elected in ridings where the idea of the other is a construction of Quebecor. This whole “debate” was started by a small group of conservative nationalists who have the megaphone of 70% of Quebec media. They have targeted English speaking institutions because there’s is a zero sum game. Dawson is led by a guy from La Tuque. McGill’s President is from St-Timothee both are “Pur Laine” yet they are not able to get that page turned. The signs I saw at the demo today all focussed on those two institutions.
Douglas 19:23 on 2020-11-28 Permalink
If you look at the pictures of the protest today. All white. No physical distancing.
Looks a lot like a Trump rally.
This is as much of a skin colour issue as it is a language issue.
Kate 19:29 on 2020-11-28 Permalink
I don’t think it’s narrowed down to skin colour but it is a form of xenophobia. There’s just no getting away from the fact that Quebec needs immigrants, and people from other countries are more likely to know English rather than French.
Also, the photos I’ve seen show a lot of masks.