Former FLQ player Pierre Schneider died on Saturday evening, various organizations and elected officials announced on Sunday. The former writer, author, activist and journalist said he had “a sense of accomplishment” in a video released over the past few days.
“I was very happy to be able to share with you during those years of my life that gave me the greatest pleasure. […] Your comfort has always been there for me and I leave in peace, ”said Mr. Schneider in a video posted on March 28 on social networks.
The 78-year-old man had been suffering from lung cancer for several years. In his own words, he had “at most a day or two to live.” In his testimony, he invited the population to continue the fight he has been leading “for 60 years, if not more”.
“Quebec will rise again. Quebec is not on its knees. Quebec is unbeatable. Whatever we say, whatever we think, we will survive and we will win, ”he also argued.
Born in Outremont in 1945, Pierre Schneider got involved at a very young age, in 1962, for the Rally for National Independence (RIN). He is one of the co-founders of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). In 1963, he had also been arrested, then sentenced to three years in prison, in connection with several bomb attacks.
After his release, Mr. Schneider then entered the media world, notably through Le Journal de Montréal, where he was notably a legal columnist. In 1988, the main interested party was also appointed to a management position in the daily news department, before taking the helm of the Arts and Entertainment section a few years later.
It was not until 2003 that Mr. Schneider left the media world to devote himself to writing. His most recent book, The Assassinated Republic of Daniel Johnson, was published two years ago, in October 2021. Pierre Schneider will also be remembered for his autobiographical story entitled Boum baby boom, which essentially recounted the story of his passion. independentist.
On Twitter on Sunday, the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, wanted to offer his sincere condolences to the loved ones and family of Mr. Schneider, “a longtime independence activist”.
“On behalf of the Parti Québécois, I thank him from the bottom of my heart for all these years in the service of our common cause,” wrote the elected PQ.