Maëlle
12-06-2004, 03:15 AM
Peace symbol a reminder of Montreal massacre
CTV.ca News Staff
People in Vancouver gathered a day ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Montreal massacre to remember the young women who were killed in the worst gender-specific mass murder in Canadian history.
"We talked this morning about December 6 and what it's meant to be and what happened on that day," Rita Beiks told CTV Vanouver about her attendance at the rally in a Vancouver park Sunday with her son Beau.
"I explained to him that some people still believe women are not as important or valuable as men, and that they don't belong in places like engineering schools."
In 1989, Marc Lepine entered L'Ecole Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic rifle. He entered a classroom, ordering the male students to leave. He started the killing there and then began roaming the engineering building looking for more victims. Eventually, he shot 14 female engineering students to death. Another 13 were wounded.
Killed in the attack were: Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Maryse Leclair and Annie St-Arneault, all 23; Genevieve Bergeron, Anne-Marie Edward, Michelle Richard and Annie Turcotte, all 21; Barbara Daigneault and Anne-Marie Lemay, both 22; Maryse Laganiere, 25; Sonia Pelletier, 28; Maud Haviernick, 29; and Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31.
"You're all a bunch of feminists and I hate feminists!" Lepine yelled out at his victims during one point in his rampage.
Lepine, who ended his attack by killing himself, left behind a note blaming "feminists" for all the problems in his troubled life. Lepine grew up in a violent household where his father beat Marc, his younger sister and his mother -- who was forbidden to comfort Marc after her husband beat her son.
The killings shocked the country, triggering a debate about violence towards women, spurring gun control legislation -- and making Dec. 6 a day to commemorate the attacks.
"We were reminded that if we are to build a just society, we must work to end violence against women," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a statement out of Ottawa on Sunday.
There is a gathering scheduled for Monday at the scene of Lepine's attack for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
CTV.ca News Staff
People in Vancouver gathered a day ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Montreal massacre to remember the young women who were killed in the worst gender-specific mass murder in Canadian history.
"We talked this morning about December 6 and what it's meant to be and what happened on that day," Rita Beiks told CTV Vanouver about her attendance at the rally in a Vancouver park Sunday with her son Beau.
"I explained to him that some people still believe women are not as important or valuable as men, and that they don't belong in places like engineering schools."
In 1989, Marc Lepine entered L'Ecole Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic rifle. He entered a classroom, ordering the male students to leave. He started the killing there and then began roaming the engineering building looking for more victims. Eventually, he shot 14 female engineering students to death. Another 13 were wounded.
Killed in the attack were: Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Maryse Leclair and Annie St-Arneault, all 23; Genevieve Bergeron, Anne-Marie Edward, Michelle Richard and Annie Turcotte, all 21; Barbara Daigneault and Anne-Marie Lemay, both 22; Maryse Laganiere, 25; Sonia Pelletier, 28; Maud Haviernick, 29; and Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31.
"You're all a bunch of feminists and I hate feminists!" Lepine yelled out at his victims during one point in his rampage.
Lepine, who ended his attack by killing himself, left behind a note blaming "feminists" for all the problems in his troubled life. Lepine grew up in a violent household where his father beat Marc, his younger sister and his mother -- who was forbidden to comfort Marc after her husband beat her son.
The killings shocked the country, triggering a debate about violence towards women, spurring gun control legislation -- and making Dec. 6 a day to commemorate the attacks.
"We were reminded that if we are to build a just society, we must work to end violence against women," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a statement out of Ottawa on Sunday.
There is a gathering scheduled for Monday at the scene of Lepine's attack for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.