Quebec To Prince Charles & That Horse Faced Hag: "Fuck-Off!"

Eggs & pro-Quebec slogans greet Charles.

MONTREAL - Scores of slogan-chanting supporters of Quebec independence blasted the British monarchy and pelted soldiers with eggs in a lone sour note to Prince Charles' otherwise pleasant day trip to Quebec on Tuesday. Chanting a variety of political messages including the famous independence call, "Le Quebec aux Quebecois," about 200 demonstrators initially blocked the prince's path into an event where he was to salute members of a historic regiment. Shield-and baton-wielding riot police eventually moved into the crowd, shoving protesters back hundreds of metres to clear a path for Charles' motorcade. Police confirmed several arrests but gave no exact number. The noisy anti-monarchy crowd was the biggest of the day for the prince, who drew small but enthusiastic gatherings at earlier events throughout the day. Even the protest itself was cordial at times: despite all the shouted swear words and crude hand gestures, some in the crowd graciously picked up debris and handed it over to police for safe disposal.

Most demonstrators either waved Fleur-de-lis flags or brandished signs with slogans such as Down With the Monarchy as they gathered outside the building housing the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. A few pelted eggs in the soldiers' direction. Some sat in the middle of the street chanting as members of the Montreal police riot squad moved in. The protest delayed the prince's scheduled arrival for 45 minutes, but Charles eventually made it in. The prince joked about the delay to his audience when he finally arrived to give the regiment its new colours. "I just want to say how very sorry my wife and I are to have kept you waiting so long," he said. "I fear there was a little local disturbance." Patrick Bourgeois, one of the protesters, said outside the armoury that the British monarchy has exploited people all over world and that Quebec is no exception.

The symbol of the monarchy has been resented by many French-Canadians for centuries, and Bourgeois and others said members of the Royal Family had no business being in Quebec. Bourgeois also linked the prince's visit with the military mission in Afghanistan which features British and Canadian soldiers. Quebec is against the war in Afghanistan," said Bourgeois, a member of the pro-independence Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois. "And now it's our chance to pass that message to Prince Charles and many people across Canada." The heir to the throne commented on the toll taken by the war in Afghanistan when he addressed the troops, noting the death of one member of the regiment, Cpl. Jason Warren. He was killed in July 2006 when a suicide bomber rammed his armoured vehicle with a carload of explosives. "With both my sons serving in the armed forces, and one of them having served in Afghanistan, I know only too well the constant nagging anxiety which permeates your life when a loved one is placed in harm's way, particularly during deployment overseas," Charles said. "To all the families gathered here this evening I want to say publicly, and with all my heart, thank you for the crucial love and understanding you provide to those who have chosen to serve us all and defend those things we hold dear."

There was one lone protester at the first event: one man, holding up a Quebec flag, with a T-shirt that said: Quebec Un Pays (Quebec A Country). He got into a heated exchange with a journalist from Toronto when the reporter tried asking questions in English - and he refused to answer. The couple's Montreal activities included a trip to the Cirque du soleil headquarters where they attended a brief performance by acrobats, and an ecological centre where they saw a simulated rain forest and frigid habitat for penguins. The royal tour is scheduled to be in Petawawa, Ont., and Ottawa on Wednesday for Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Source CBC.com