The first signs of FLQ terrorist activity took place with the planting of bottle explosives at three local armories.
No harm was done on March 8, 1963 when the explosives were discovered, along with FLQ graffiti and propaganda describing the FLQ as "suicide commandos."
The early FLQ, which included Belgian Prof. Georges Schoeters, (who later totally disappeared) Raymond Villeneuve and Pierre Schneider, all of whom have been discussed at length on Coolopolis, took it to a higher gear on a series of mailbox bombings soon after.
The most serious damage was done on May 17 when Walter Leja was seriously injured trying to defuse a bomb at Landsdowne and Westmount Ave.
I propose that Victoria Day, which has already been renamed several times by the Quebec government, be officially, or unofficially, called Walter Leja Day in honour of the fight against terrorism in Quebec.
Well... Might it be more appropriate if they rename June 24th. Walter Leja Day???
ReplyDeleteMerci.
OK, I haven't gone through all the archives yet but have you ever done something on that 16-year-old kid, Jean Corbo, who got himself blown up carrying an FLQ bomb that was meant to be placed against a wall of Dominion Textiles in St. Henri in July, 1966?
ReplyDeleteThere's an attempt to crowdsource to get a video project finished on the subject at http://www.gofundme.com/h7rc4
I think at the time he was even being looked at as the bomber of that shoe factory that resulted in the death of a secretary earlier in May.
Another mysterious bomb blast. I knew the guy a little - I don't know if it was determined to be a suicide or an accident.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19770630&id=XpguAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1125,3139853