First Published: People’s Canada Daily News Release, Febuary 9, 1972
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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Montreal (PCDN) Febuary 3 – The following is the text of the National Petition for a People’s Quebec, released by the Communist Party of Quebec (Marxist-Leninist) on January 30, 1972, at a meeting in Montreal. The full text of the Petition follows:
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, FIRMLY BELIEVE AND SOLEMNLY DECLARE THAT –
1. Quebec belongs to the Quebec people,
2. Quebec and the Quebec people are not for sale,
3. The Quebec people have every right to kick US imperialism and Anglo-Canadian colonialism out of Quebec,
4. It has been clearly shown over the years that the US imperialists and the Anglo-Canadian colonialists do not care much about the Quebec people except to exploit our land and labour,
5. The U.S. imperialists are using Quebec as a source of raw materials, a dumping ground for their manufactured products and a place to invest their capital,
6. This is causing untold hardship for the Quebec people. Unemployment is rising, the people are forced into increasing slavery through debts, small businessmen are forced into bankruptcy, the countryside is being ruined and depopulated, there is a conscious campaign to undermine and destroy Quebec youth. The military occupation of Quebec in October 1970
and the constant harassment of workers, students and revolutionary
youth are indications that the foreign imperialists will use all
necessary force to keep the Quebec people in bondage. All these things
and the rising anti-imperialist storm of the Canadian people along with
the revolutionary struggle of the people of the United States have
awakened many Quebecois to the necessity of fighting U.S. imperialism
and Anglo- Canadian colonialism and contributing to the historic task
of finally defeating U.S. imperialist exploitation, murder and
aggression.
7. The Quebec people have everything to gain and nothing to lose by a revolutionary war for national liberation.
8. The Quebec people have the sacred and inviolable right to fulfil their national aspirations for independence and the building of a prosperous Quebec,
9. The people have no choice but to take their destiny in their own hands,
10. This policy concretely serves the real interest of the people of Quebec, Canada and the United States, the Indo-Chinese people and all the peoples of the whole world, and we call upon our from all sections and classes of society to:
A. Resolutely take up the task of preparing for national war against US imperialism and Anglo-Canadian colonialism in Quebec, and
B. Join in the building of People’s Revolutionary Area Committees
C. Build conditions for the convening of a FIRST NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS TO DENOUNCE U,S: IMPERIALISM AND ANGLO-CANADIAN COLONIALISM. This Congress can only be convened if we all work hard and struggle with all anti-imperialist and patriotic groups and individuals and win them over to the Congress proposal. The date and the place will be announced when conditions are ready.
Footnote to petition
The purpose of PEOPLE’S REVOLUTIONARY AREA COMMITTEES are to
1. Begin discussions and debates as to the nature of U. S: imperialism and Anglo-Canadian colonialism, their role in Quebec and how to defeat them,
2. Create an atmosphere of confidence and optimism about the new era, without US imperialist control, where the people will have their destiny in their own hands,
3. Act as the centre of resistance to all attacks from the US imperialists, Anglo-Canadian colonialists and their local traitors, and,
4. Destroy all attempts to organize a counter-revolutionary civil war based on the so-called “language question” by preparing material conditions to launch offensive attacks against the US imperialists, the
Anglo-Canadian colonialists and all their agents.