User:Malpas04/Fed up I rally

FED UP I RALLY

Where: Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

When: Thursday, September 22, 1994, commencing at noon

Size: Official reports indicate that 22,000 people were present.

Why: Canada's Recreational Firearms Community wished to convey it's displeasure in clear terms to the then ruling Liberal Party. Canada's Recreational Firearms Community vehemently disagreed with the gouvernment of Jean Chretien and then Minister of Justice Allan Rock over the pending imposition of Bill C-68 (Gun Control). The latter was introduced the next year on February 14, 1995. This rally was perhaps the starting point of the long awaited confrontation between Canada's Recreational Firearms Community and gouvernment. Up until that time the debates between Canada's Recreational Firearms Community and gouvernment had primarily been a grass roots affair which subsequent gouvernments since the Trudeau administration had seen fit to disregard. While some success had been attained by the first National Firearms Association (NFA, 1976-1982) and the post-1982 NFA and others, gouvernments, both federal and provincial, refused to accept the growing resentment of Canada's 7,000,000 firearms owners. This rally clearly showed that Canada's firearms enthusiasts and their various organizations had finally emerged as a concrete organized opposition that persists to this day. So successful was this rally that it was subsequently followed by the FED UP II rally on September 22, 1998 at which 30,000 people were present.

General Comments: The rally staging area was at the extreme north end of Rochester Avenue (Lebreton Flats) across from the present location of the new War Museum. Buses would pull in and drop off protestors from across Canada which were then assembled into a long marching line. The march began at 12 noon in an orderly fashion going east up Wellington Avenue towards the grounds in front of Parliament Hill. Wellington Avenue had been closed off due to the large turnout of marchers. By 11:00 AM there were already 200 people waiting at the Hill. The media had incorrectly stated that the march had failed since only these 200 people were present. This curiously ignored the fact that the main body of protesters were down the street slowly beginning their march up to Parliament Hill. While many people were allowed to speak at the rally including, oddly enough, Liberal Justice Minister Allan Rock, one who was refused a voice was the then leader of the only two remaining Progressive Conservatives, Jean Charest. Organizers generally felt that past offenses to the Canadian Recreational Firearms Community by the previous administration of Progressive Conservative Leader Kim Campbell warranted Mr. Charest's rejection as a speaker at the rally. As a precaution, the RCMP Hill Detachment had been previously notified about the purpose of the rally and security measures organizers already had in place. As well, barricades and a motorcycle escort had been requested from the Ottwawa Police Force which they gladly supplied. There were no incidents. Finally, when finished, participants policed the grounds and left no rubbish. Gouvernment staff commented on how orderly and clean the rally had been.