'Duty to learn': Vigils mark 35th anniversary of Polytechnique anti-feminist killings

At a ceremony held in front of Polytechnic Montreal's main campus, officials and others braved the bitter winter cold to pay their respects to the 14 women who were killed in an anti-women attack 35 years ago.

In this ceremony, Louis Courville, interim director of the Polytechnic in 1989, along with others, placed a memorial plaque in honor of the victims of the White Flowers. "I'm glad people haven't forgotten this event," he said. However, this is a reminder of a very sad and terrible event."

The 14 women who died in the massacre were: Genevieve Bergeron, Helen Colgan, Natalie Croteau, Barbara Daino, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Havernick, Maris Laganier, Maris Leclerc, Anne-Marie Lemma, Sonia Pelletier, Michelle Richard, Annie Saint -Arno, Annie Turcotte, and Barbara Kluznick-Vidajewicz.

This attack, which was carried out by Marc Lepin and ended with his suicide, also left 13 wounded. In his writings, Lepin had introduced feminists as the cause of the ruin of his life.

"We have a duty to learn from this incident," said Maud Cohen, president of the Polytechnic of Montreal. "We must keep alive the memory of the victims who lost their lives and ensure that all people, especially women, can live in a safe and equal environment and achieve their dreams."

At 5:10 p.m., when the first shots were fired, 14 beams of light lit up in the sky above Montreal and the names of the victims were read one by one. This year, for the first time, a fifteenth ray of light was also added to the memory of all the victims of feminicide.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other political leaders also made statements commemorating the victims and emphasizing the need to combat violence against women. "35 years after this incident, we still need to emphasize the right of women to live without fear and to achieve their dreams," said Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante in a statement. "Every step towards equality benefits the whole society."

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