Remembering The Montreal Massacre
On December 6, 1989 an armed man entered the École Polytechnique in Montreal and separated the male and female students. He ultimately shot and killed 14 female students and wounded another 14 victims. The shooter’s academic application had been turned down by the college and he blamed “feminist” women for taking up classroom space. Although 14 years have passed, the issue of gendered violence remains a significant concern.
On December 6, 2013 SAVIS participated in a memorial ceremony at Sheridan College to advocate for the ending of violence against women. Poems were read and roses were laid down in recognition of the women who lost their lives to violence. Many students attended to remember those women whose lives were taken and to recognize the worldwide issue and gender based violence and discrimination.
In 2011 83% of perpetrators of police-reported incidents of violence against women were men. Violence against women remains a pressing issue that needs to be addressed in order to achieve equality and improve women’s safety in Canada.
Let us continue to use our voices and actions to demand a STOP TO VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY!
Source: Violence against Women, 2011. (2013). Young women most at risk of violence. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130225/dq130225a-eng.htm