The controversial comments of a former solidarity candidate on the fire that ravaged the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris put Quebec solidaire in trouble on Tuesday.


Eve Torres

The co-spokesperson of Quebec Solidaire (QS), Manon Massé, distanced herself from the party candidate in Mont-Royal-Outremont in the last election, Eve Torres, of Muslim faith.


Manon Massé

Ms. Massé asked the latter to retract, believing that her remarks were only to exacerbate the debate around Bill 21 on religious symbols. In a confused message posted and removed from her Facebook page, Ms. Torres, who has already been part of the political analysts invited to the show La Joute, TVA network, suggests that the fire in Paris Monday would be the result of a divine intervention related to the prohibition of religious symbols in France.

According to Ms. Torres, banning religious signs can stir up the wrath of "the imaginary friend". And then "here is the result! ", according to her. "I would be (Prime Minister François) Legault, I would sleep firefighters at the basilica of Notre-Dame Street" in Montreal, she continues.

"I was very troubled" by the words of Ms. Torres, said Ms. Massé in the air, adding that if it was a joke she was "very bad taste". This type of intervention only contributes to "ruining the debate", according to Ms. Massé.

A former QS candidate, Ms. Torres was also a member of the Québec solidaire coordinating committee until recently. Ms. Torres finally apologized, saying that her message was a joke. Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, who is piloting Bill 21, also denounced Ms. Torres.


Sources :
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/201904/16/01-52
https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/552311/manon-masse

---