On the morning of September 20, Montreal police officers beat and tear-gassed LGBTQ+ community members and allies gathered at Place Vauquelin to oppose transphobia. People had gathered to counter the 1 Million March 4 Children protest organized by Hands Off Our Kids (HOOK) and Ensemble Pour Protéger Nos Enfants (EPPNE), both notorious for spreading rhetoric against 2SLGBTQ+ rights. This counter-protest, titled Protect Trans Kids, aimed to protect trans children across Canada, and the world, while also bringing awareness to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Over 30 counter-protests and rallies for trans rights happened on this same day across the country.
Groups such as HOOK and EPPNE repeatedly claim that schools indoctrinate children through LGBTQ-inclusive education and purposely undermine parental authority. Slogans such as “Say no to indoctrination” and “I belong to my parents” have been used for the mass mobilization of their members to launch nationwide protests, initially held on September 20, 2023.
A statement supporting the counter-protest denounced the claim that schools indoctrinate students as false, arguing that HOOK and EPPNE “oppose the simple mention of trans people and couples of the same sex.” The statement added that “it is just as scary to consider the ideology of these groups that view children’s autonomy as eroding parents’ rights.” It also condemned the actions of the Quebec government, specifically the creation of the Comité des Sages as an advisory committee of gender identity.
In a press release on behalf of the organizations and communities that brought this counter-protest to life, they discussed the importance of standing against such hate: “We are fighting towards the same goal, only ours includes the protection and wellbeing of trans and queer youth, youth who have queer and trans parents or loved ones, or youth who have have trans and queer friends,” Zev Saltiel, a registered social worker and parent, wrote.
Early into the counter-protest, the Daily spoke with a U1 McGill student, who chose to remain anonymous. “A lot of people are still ignorant,” they said, when reflecting on the importance of bringing awareness to not only trans people, but the harms and obstacles actively posed against them. They emphasized on what they believe this ignorance entails, by saying, “I feel like among a majority of non-queer people I meet, there is ignorance. And by ignorance, I mean lack of knowledge about trans people and a lack of empathy as well.” The student felt it critical that they come to support and participate in the counter-protests’ mission.
Throughout the morning, the two sides were separated by two lines of riot police. Around 10:30, the original protest began to march and counter-protestors split into several groups in an attempt to cut them off. However, riot police formed a line between the two groups, and quickly started pushing the counter-protestors back with their shields and spraying the crowd with tear gas. The Daily witnessed police continue to push and assault counter-protestors even when they showed visible signs of injury or medical distress. When speaking with an organizer after the protest, the Daily found out that at least one counter-protester was arrested, and another sustained a head injury from a police baton. The Daily did not witness a similar level of police brutality towards the anti-trans protesters.
After the police violence calmed down, counter-protesters gathered in Place Vauquelin to wash off the tear gas and recover from the assault. Food from People’s Potato was served for lunch, which helped to boost morale. Around 12:15, a counter-protester arrived to announce that the original protest had disbanded, drawing cheers from the remaining counter-protestors.