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Home *Opinion*

Acadians do have a tradition of fighting back

Les Acadiens ont une tradition de riposte

by Jean-Claude Basque
February 18, 2021
Reading Time: 3min read

Protests against the removal of 1,200 people for the creation Kouchibouguac National Park were frequest in the 1970s. Photo from the Concordia Department of History website.

La version française suit la version anglaise.

During the recent virtual ParleOuere event on activism organized by the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, Professor Michelle Landry of the Université de Moncton argued that Acadians do not have a tradition of holding many demonstrations. I disagree with this point of view.

One need only think of the countless actions taken to create a network of Acadian schools and a university. Let’s remember the demonstrations by students at Université de Moncton and the Collège de Bathurst, the protests by the parents of Saint-Simon and Saint-Sauveur who had to face the police to keep their school open, or the protest by students of Polyvalente W.A. Losier against the school’s physical conditions and the decision by the school board’s management to lock them out.

One need only think of the demonstrations held to have health services in one’s own language, and in one’s own region in Caraquet, Saint-Quentin and elsewhere.

One need only think of the public actions taken by the citizens of Anse Bleu against the nuclear power plant, those against the Bennett incinerator in Belledune or the most recent direct actions against shale gas, particularly in Kent County.

One need only think of the numerous demonstrations in Acadian regions since the mid-1970s against the cuts to the unemployment insurance program.

One need only think of the various actions taken by Acadian fishers to gain the right to unionize with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union.

One need only think of the many public meetings held by the expropriated people of Kouchibouguac.

One need only think of the strong actions of northern forest workers against mechanization in the forest in the 1990s.

One need only think of the participation of thousands of Acadian workers during the 1992 general strike against the McKenna government for breaking contracts with public sector workers.

These are only some of the most visible examples of Acadian mobilization over the years. It is completely false to claim that Acadians do not have a tradition of mobilization.

Jean-Claude Basque is a long-time labour and social justice activist from Tracadie. 

Les Acadiens ont une tradition de riposte

Lors du récent ParleOuere virtuel sur le militantisme tenu par la Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, la professeure Michelle Landry de l’Université de Moncton, souligne que les Acadiens n’ont pas pour tradition de faire beaucoup de manifestations. Je ne suis pas d’accord avec ce point de vue.

On n’a qu’à penser aux innombrables actions posées pour se donner un réseau d’écoles acadiennes et une université. Souvenons-nous de la manifestation des étudiants de l’Université de Moncton et celle des étudiants du Collège de Bathurst, des protestations des parents de Saint-Simon et de Saint-Sauveur qui ont dû faire face à la police pour garder leur école ouverte ou encore celle des étudiants et étudiantes de la polyvalente W.A. Losier contre les conditions physiques et la décision de la direction de la commission scolaire de les mettre en lockout.

On n’a qu’à penser aux démonstrations tenues pour avoir des services en santé dans sa langue, dans sa région comme à Caraquet, Saint-Quentin et ailleurs.

On n’a qu’à penser aux actions publiques des citoyens et citoyennes d’Anse Bleu contre la centrale nucléaire, à celles menées contre l’incinérateur Bennet à Belledune ou les plus récentes actions directes contre le gaz de schiste, en particulier dans le comté de Kent.

On n’a qu’a pensé aux nombreuses manifestations dans les régions acadiennes depuis le milieu des années 1970 contre les coupures au programme d’assurance-chômage.

On n’a qu’à penser aux différentes actions des pêcheurs acadiens pour avoir le droit de se syndiquer avec l’Union des pêcheurs des Maritimes.

On n’a qu’à penser aux nombreuses réunions publiques des expropriés de Kouchibouguac.

On n’a qu’à penser aux actions musclées des travailleurs forestiers du nord contre la mécanisation dans la forêt dans les années 1995.

On n’a qu’à penser à la participation de milliers de travailleurs et travailleuses acadiennes lors de la grève générale dans le secteur public en 1992 contre le gouvernement McKenna qui avait brisé les contrats.

Ce ne sont là que les plus visibles exemples de mobilisation des Acadiens et Acadiennes au cours des années. Je soutiens donc qu’il est tout à fait faux de prétendre que les Acadiens et Acadiennes n’ont pas de tradition de mobilisation.

Jean-Claude Basque, originaire de Tracadie, est un militant de longue date pour le droit des travailleurs et la justice sociale. 

Tags: acadiandemonstrationsJean-Claude BasqueKouchibouguaclanguagemobilizationprotestshale gas
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