December 6, 2019

CONTENT WARNING: This article or section, or pages it links to, contains information about violence which may be triggering to survivors.

 

On December 6th, 1989, a young man carrying a semi-automatic rifle and hunting knife, entered a college classroom at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Canada. After separating the engineering students, men from women, the shooter opened fire on the women and shouted, "You're women, you're going to be engineers. You're all a bunch of feminists. I hate feminists." Fourteen young women were murdered, and thirteen other people wounded and afterwards the shooter turned the gun on himself.

In his suicide letter, the shooter blamed feminists for ruining his life. The note contained a list of feminists who he said would have also been killed if he had not run out of time. It included the names of well-known women in Quebec, including journalists, television personalities, and union leaders.

The event would come to be known as the École Polytechnique Massacre (also known as the Montreal Massacre) and sent shockwaves throughout the country. For weeks many debated the cause and motive for the attack. For some, the assailant’s action was an isolated and without any social significance. For many others, the shooters’ actions that day nearly thirty years ago was a merciless attack against women that revealed a profound malaise surrounding the place of women in Canadian society, an act of gender-based violence, and an act indicative of anti-feminist sentiment.

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the École Polytechnique Massacre, we must recognize it for what it is. An example of gender based violence where fourteen women were murdered.

Some positive steps are being taken for the 30th anniversary to address problematic messaging and affirm that women were specifically targeted. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary, the City of Montreal is replacing the sign at the Place du 6-Décembre-1989 memorial with a new one that condemns all forms of violence against women and states that the École Polytechnique Massacre was motivated by anti-feminism.

Many CFUW clubs have demonstrated leadership by organizing vigils or joining in other community vigils to commemorate December 6th, 1989. The CFUW 1989 École Polytechnique Commemorative Fellowship Awards honour the fourteen women murdered at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. CFUW’s recently published toolkit on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign details concrete actions for its almost 8000 members to take a stand for justice and against violence directed towards women and girls.

We must continue our work to recognize the École Polytechnique Massacre as a tragic act of anti-feminist and gender-based violence, not only during the 16 Days of Activism, or surrounding the anniversary of the terrible event but in our daily lives. We all must take a stand against anti-feminism and gender-based violence by supporting survivors, taking action, challenging negative or inaccurate perceptions, and spreading awareness. Improving life for women and girls not only in Canada but around the globe depends on our ability to stand up for what is right and say no to gender-based violence.

For more information please contact:

Yasmin Strautins
Advocacy Coordinator
cfuwadvocacy@rogers.com   
Tel: 613-234-8252 ext. 106