Pro-gun rally proceeds smoothly at alternate site

A pro-gun lobby held a rally at a sugar shack west of Quebec City on Saturday after it was forced to backtrack on a plan to have the event at a memorial site for the 14 women who were killed at École Polytechnique in 1989.

During the rally, the group argued licensed gun owners should be included in the debate on how to prevent further shootings from happening in Quebec. The group said it believes gun control lobbies are going in the wrong direction and creating “a false sense of security.”

Originally, the group had wanted to stage the event at Montreal’s Place du 6 décembre. That idea was quickly blasted by politicians of all stripes, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

Guy Morin, president of the progun lobby, has said the group did not realize the plan would generate such widespread denunciation. He said he changed the venue to avoid a clash between people with opposing views on the issue.

Morin criticized politicians on Saturday, saying they were more interested in garnering votes than they are in finding the root of the problem. He believes Canada’s gun control mechanisms are adequate.

Morin said the people who gathered for the event feel the best approach is to intervene with “people at risk” who suffer from mentalhealth issues.

Morin said about 100 people attended Saturday’s rally.