This Group Planned A Pro-Gun Rally At A Memorial For Canada's Worst Mass Shooting

    Prime Minster Trudeau called it a "needless and cruel provocation."

    Lauren Strapagiel
    by Lauren Strapagiel

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A pro-gun group has scheduled a rally at a park commemorating the victims of Canada's worst mass shooting.

    Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS

    Tous contre un registre Québécois des armes à feu (All against a Quebec firearms registry) is holding the rally at Place du 6-décembre-1989.

    The park is a memorial to the 14 women killed at École Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989, by a shooter who blamed feminists for ruining his life. During the attack, he separated men and women in a classroom — then fatally shot six of the women — then continued to target women as he moved through the school.

    The rally is being held just four days before the 28th anniversary of the shooting, which is now known as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

    The choice of location is no coincidence. Guy Morin, one of the people behind the group, told CBC News the point was to get attention.

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    He also said the massacre is unfairly referenced in gun control debates, CBC reported.

    Quebec is working on a long-gun registry since Canada's federal registry was scrapped in 2012 by the then-Conservative government. The École Polytechnique played a major part in establishing the former registry, as well as other gun control measures in Canada.

    Dominique Duchesne, a spokesperson for the group, told BuzzFeed Canada the group is discussing moving the event but hasn't made a decision yet.

    When asked about the backlash to the location choice, Duchesne said, "First of all it's been 28 years that tragedy occurred."

    The group, he said, is against the new registry and would instead like to see money spent on mental health initiatives. He added that there are a lot of misconceptions out there over how easy it is to get a firearm.

    "This registry is nothing more than administrative stuff that will not provide any public safety," he said.

    In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the planned rally a "needless and cruel provocation."

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    "The families of Polytechnique victims should come first. May we always honour their memory," he wrote.

    Montreal mayor Valérie Plante tweeted that it shows "a lack of judgement" as well as "unacceptable disrespect for the victims of this tragedy and all women victims of violence."

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    Members of the public also tweeted their outrage.

    Cat Alexiadis @Cat_astrophe18

    @indelible_jed @CBCAlerts And an assault on civility.

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    And expressed concern for the family members of the massacre victims.

    Elizabeth @Eliza201777

    @CBCAlerts These families have suffered enough. Show some respect please.

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    A counterprotest is now being organized for Saturday.

    UPDATE: The venue for the event will now be changed.

    The group announced the event will now be held at an as yet to be determined location.