Dec. 6 1989, Montreal... 14 women dead, just for being... women.

[Elenfair]

Just suggesting we take a moment today to remember Lepine’s 14 victims at the Ecole Polythecnique de Montreal, on December 6 1989.

On December 6th, 1989, Lepine stormed the school and singled out women:

On the evening of December 6, 1989, shortly after 5 o’clock on the penultimate day of classes before the Christmas holidays, Lépine carried a concealed Sturm Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle into the École Polytechnique. His first female victim, Maryse Laganiere, was killed in a corridor. He then proceeded to Room 303, a classroom which held 10 women students and 48 men, along with a male professor. Firing two shots into the ceiling and shouting, “I want the women. I hate feminists!,”

See this for full details

So… a moment to remeber the victims of this tragedy, and their families…

Geneviève Bergeron, aged 21;
Hélène Colgan, 23;
Nathalie Croteau, 23;
Barbara Daigneault, 22;
Anne-Marie Edward, 21;
Maud Haviernick, 29;
Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31;
Maryse Leclair, 23;
Annie St.-Arneault, 23;
Michèle Richard, 21;
Maryse Laganière, 25;
Anne-Marie Lemay, 22;
Sonia Pelletier, 28; and
Annie Turcotte, aged 21.

[Andy]

Well, at least it puts my bad day into perspective.
I don’t remember the incident myself.

[Ryan_Liam]

Why did he kill the women just because they were feminists?

[Elenfair]

They weren’t even feminists - they were women pursuing non-traditional jobs…

He just… hated women, apparently. He’d been rejected from the Army, and from this particular school - and blamed affirmative-action type of programs for this. Basically, if it hadn’t been for those darn feminists, he’d be in.

[Ryan_Liam]

Geez…Why do people do this shit?

[Kwyjibo]

Thanks Elen.
I’m ashamed to say that I forgot about this.

Great Post.

[papergirl]

Thank you, elenfair. I’m lighting a candle for them today.

Peace
karol

[Barbarian]

Many years ago, my wife was awarded the Anne-Marie Edward scholarship while in Cegep.

She would much rather there be no award to win.

[Helen_s_Eidolon]

Thanks for posting this, Elen. It’s always a sad day here when the anniversary comes around.

[airdisc]

I was thinking about this event while I was brushing my teeth this morning. A few hours later, I read the “This Day in History” section of my local newspaper, and it said today was the 13th anniversery of that event. Weird.

And yeah, sucks about what happened.

[Flamsterette_X]

I remember this event, and reading the very sad stoiry of what happened.

F_X

[alice_in_wonderland]

I appreciate that you included the women’s names Elenfair.

So often it’s the perpetrator of the crime that’s remembered, rather than the victims.

I have my small mountain of memorial candles here - I give them out to my female relatives and friends for X-mas each year.

[Elenfair]

Alice, you’re very right - it’s often the perpetrators who are remembered…

It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years already.

I can’t help but remember Dec, 6, 1995, when I sat in my Philosophy of Feminism class, talking about this tragedy with my classmates.

We couldn’t help but feel the chill.

These things are impossible to explain… but so very important to remember.

[Siege]

I remember this story, although I couldn’t have told you the year before reading this thread. You see, December 6th is my birthday, and I’m a woman and feminist. I realize this applies to anyone, but it’s still a shame to realize there are people in this world so filled with hate that they will kill people for simply being what they are.

CJ

[Fyodor]

An Algerian moslem immigrant came to Canada in the seventies, got married, had a son, and named him Ghamil Garbi. The boy was raised in a terrible home with constant brutal beatings of both mother and son. Later, the boy changed his name to Marc Lepine, got very interested in guns and camouflage military clothing, grew a beard, and subsequently committed his horrific crime against women. “you’re all feminists” he said.