Jean Boulet targeted in Montreal guillotine scene draws backlash
Jean Boulet was targeted in a guillotine scene during a Montreal demonstration on Saturday for the International Day of Workers and Workpeople, after some participants simulated his decapitation before a crowd of thousands. An image taken by a La Presse contributor showed a man beside the guillotine with a gagged marionette representing the labour minister on it.
Videos circulating on social media showed the man triggering the guillotine under applause from the crowd. Some people then kicked the marionette’s head, while several demonstrators were waving CSN flags nearby.
Union groups in Montreal
The CSD, the CSN, the CSQ and the FTQ later said in a joint statement sent to La Presse that they fully distanced themselves from the action. The demonstration brought together thousands of demonstrators from union organizations, community groups, citizen organizations and student associations.
Political reaction in Quebec
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he was "autant dégoûté que sous le choc" and demanded apologies from the organizers. Charles Milliard wrote on X that "Ce type d’action n’a pas sa place dans notre société," and Ruba Ghazal said on Bluesky that "la violence politique n’a pas sa place en démocratie, peu importe d’où elle vient."
Christine Fréchette wrote on X that unions had the responsibility to denounce the acts and that they did so quickly: "Les syndicats avaient la responsabilité de dénoncer les actes survenus lors d’une manifestation, ce qu’ils ont fait rapidement. Je suis convaincue que nous ferons la démonstration qu’il est possible d’avancer de façon constructive sans violence ou menaces." The people who organized the scene were not identified in the material provided, leaving the reaction centered on the public denunciations already on record.
