On May 14 hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Montreal to protest provisions of Bill 96 that they say will impact the rights of Quebecers and harm Quebec’s English-speaking community.

Many advocacy groups and politicians joined the march on Saturday.

“I was proud to stand alongside thousands of proud Quebecers to . . .

indicate that Bill 96 goes way too far, that it will remove rights and services to francophones, anglophones, First Nations and newcomers and that there are better ways to protect the French language than Premier Legault’s divisive approach,” said MNA André Fortin, who was at the protest.

“At the end of the day, sadly, the Premier seems intent on using this issue as a wedge for the next electoral campaign. At the very least I hope the community mobilization, as shown in Saturday’s protest, will force the government to change some parts of the bill,” he said.

“It certainly strengthened my resolve to fight until the end against the bill and the CAQ’s ‘us versus them’ approach to language,” added Fortin.

As debate on the final adoption of Bill 96 has started, it will resume and likely end next week, explained Fortin. “At that point, only the CAQ government can still suggest changes to the bill.

The protest signifies that the anglophone and allophone speaking community in Quebec is not silent, highlighted Andrew Caddell, president of the Task Force, a nonpartisan group dedicated to protecting anglophone rights.

Caddell explained that initially people believed that it was an adjustment to Bill 101, and although some people were not happy with it they will learned to live with it. But that’s not the case here. “It affects their rights. [Billing] affects their jobs, it affects their healthcare, it affects their capacity to study, and where to study. It’s all encompassing,” said Caddell.

With the imminent passing of the bill, Caddell hopes the message that the government receives is that they will not back down. “We’re going to stand up, we’re not going to be silent. And if and when this bill passes, we are going to make your life a living hell. We’re going to take the bill to court, and we’re going to protest it.

He explained how the law does not reflect how the rest of Quebec lives and that these laws are being passed in an “echo chamber.”

“They’re making amendments to this law, and working to pass the law, in a vacuum without any kind of knowledge or understanding of how things operate 250 kilometres to the west,” said Caddell.

As it stands, Bill 96 will reduce and restrict access to education, health care, justice, and government services in English.

The rally and march were coordinated by Quebecers Against Bill 96. This broad group of community partners includes the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA); the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations (QFHSA); the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA); and the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN).

The rally started at 10 a.m. at Dawson College and ended in front of Premier François Legault’s Montreal office

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