International Resistance Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Initiative de résistance internationaliste (International Resistance Initiative), more commonly known as Résistance internationaliste, is a terrorist organization operating in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. Résistance internationaliste first surfaced in December 2004. Based on communiqué
s believed to originate from the group, the Résistance internationaliste appears to hold anti-capitalist, environmentalist
and anti-American
views. The group has claimed responsibility for three attacks, all on Canadian soil.
's visit to Canada
, a Hydro-Québec
electric tower along the Quebec – New England Transmission circuit in the Eastern Townships
of Quebec
near the Canada-U.S. border was damaged by explosive charges detonated at its base. The CBC
reported that a message, purportedly from the Résistance internationaliste and issued to La Presse, Le Journal de Montréal
and CKAC radio, stated that the attack had been carried out to "denounce the 'pillaging' of Quebec's resources by the United States."
, near Montreal
. After having initially concluded that the explosion was the result of an electrical malfunction, the Sûreté du Québec
provincial police force ordered an investigation by its anti-terrorism branch when a number of media
outlets received an email
from a source claiming to be the Résistance internationaliste. The email stated that the group had carried out the attack in protest against the actions of oil companies, in particular the alleged funding of "an imperialist army which is committing barbarous acts", an apparent reference to the war in Iraq. The CBC reported that the same email also contained accusations against the oil companies of consumer abuse and environmental degradation.
On August 18 of the same year, the Sûreté du Québec confirmed that the car was indeed firebombed, as claimed by the email.
in Trois-Rivières
, Quebec. At 2:37 a.m., on July 2, 2010 a call was placed to the Trois-Rivières municipal police force stating there was a bomb at the recruiting station. At 3 a.m., the bomb exploded, but no one was injured according to local newspaper Le Nouvelliste
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Résistance internationaliste first surfaced in December 2004. Based on communiqué
Communique
A communiqué is a brief report or statement released by a public agency.Communiqué may also refer to:* Communiqué , a rock band* Communiqué , 1979* Communiqué , 1987...
s believed to originate from the group, the Résistance internationaliste appears to hold anti-capitalist, environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and anti-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
views. The group has claimed responsibility for three attacks, all on Canadian soil.
Hydro tower bombing
In 2004, shortly before U.S. President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's visit to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
electric tower along the Quebec – New England Transmission circuit in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
near the Canada-U.S. border was damaged by explosive charges detonated at its base. The CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
reported that a message, purportedly from the Résistance internationaliste and issued to La Presse, Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the largest-circulation French-language newspaper in North America. Established by Pierre Péladeau in 1964, it is owned by the Sun Media division of Quebecor Media. It is also Canada's largest tabloid...
and CKAC radio, stated that the attack had been carried out to "denounce the 'pillaging' of Quebec's resources by the United States."
Car firebombing
On Friday, August 4, 2006, a car belonging to Carol Montreuil, a spokesman for the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, exploded in the town of Sainte-ThérèseSainte-Thérèse, Quebec
Sainte-Thérèse is an off-island suburb northwest of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Regional County Municipality of Thérèse-de-Blainville....
, near Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. After having initially concluded that the explosion was the result of an electrical malfunction, the Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec...
provincial police force ordered an investigation by its anti-terrorism branch when a number of media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
outlets received an email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
from a source claiming to be the Résistance internationaliste. The email stated that the group had carried out the attack in protest against the actions of oil companies, in particular the alleged funding of "an imperialist army which is committing barbarous acts", an apparent reference to the war in Iraq. The CBC reported that the same email also contained accusations against the oil companies of consumer abuse and environmental degradation.
On August 18 of the same year, the Sûreté du Québec confirmed that the car was indeed firebombed, as claimed by the email.
Canadian Forces recruiting office
The Résistance internationaliste has also allegedly claimed the responsibility of planting a bomb at a recruiting station of the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
in Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, Quebec. At 2:37 a.m., on July 2, 2010 a call was placed to the Trois-Rivières municipal police force stating there was a bomb at the recruiting station. At 3 a.m., the bomb exploded, but no one was injured according to local newspaper Le Nouvelliste
Le Nouvelliste (Quebec)
Le Nouvelliste is the Mauricie regional newspaper, based in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. It is part of the Gesca media conglomerate. It was part of the Parizeau Affair, a political affair of the 2003 Quebec general election.-External links:*...
.