Gavazzi Riots
Encyclopedia
The Gavazzi Riots were disturbances created in Quebec
and Montreal
, in June 1853, by mobs which attacked halls in which Alessandro Gavazzi
was lecturing.
. His lectures at Quebec and Montreal were strongly anti-Roman Catholic; and at both places the soldiers had to be called out to restore order. The riots also caused political repercussions.
. A large audience assembled to hear him. When he had been speaking for somewhat more than an hour he was interrupted by violent and abusive exclamations. The interruption was the signal for action on the part of other ruffians outside. A volley of stones came crashing through the windows of the church, and immediately afterwards a crowd of persons armed with bludgeons made a forcible entrance into the building.
The principal participants were Irish Catholics who reacted violently to Gavazzi's anti-Catholic sentiments. Gavazzi attributed the failure of the Italian national movement of 1848-49 to the defection of Pope Pius IX
from the cause, and therefore rejected Catholicism. Gavazzi Riot in Quebec are quelled by military.
In February 1854, on the acquittal of the Quebec rioter, Gavazzi's effigy is burnt.
, the mayor of the city
, ordered the troops to fire upon the crowd. The order was obeyed, and five men fell dead. The firing by the troops put an end to aggression on the part of the mob. It is impossible even to approximate the number of the wounded.
Investigation of the riot proceeds at Montreal on June 26.
Protestant journalists such as John Dougall of the Montreal Witness
persisted in accusing the mayor for the riots.
The Montrealer painter James D. Duncan depicts the event in his work "Gavazzi riot" (1853).
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
and 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...
, in June 1853, by mobs which attacked halls in which Alessandro Gavazzi
Alessandro Gavazzi
Alessandro Gavazzi was an Italian preacher and patriot. He at first became a monk , and attached himself to the Barnabites at Naples, where he afterwards acted as professor of rhetoric.-Biography:...
was lecturing.
Overview
During the spring of 1853 Alessandro Gavazzi, an Italian patriot, visited North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. His lectures at Quebec and Montreal were strongly anti-Roman Catholic; and at both places the soldiers had to be called out to restore order. The riots also caused political repercussions.
Riot in Quebec City
On the evening of the June 6th, pursuant to previous announcement, Gavazzi proceeded to deliver a discourse in the Free Presbyterian Church, in St. Ursule Street, on the subject of the InquisitionInquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
. A large audience assembled to hear him. When he had been speaking for somewhat more than an hour he was interrupted by violent and abusive exclamations. The interruption was the signal for action on the part of other ruffians outside. A volley of stones came crashing through the windows of the church, and immediately afterwards a crowd of persons armed with bludgeons made a forcible entrance into the building.
The principal participants were Irish Catholics who reacted violently to Gavazzi's anti-Catholic sentiments. Gavazzi attributed the failure of the Italian national movement of 1848-49 to the defection of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
from the cause, and therefore rejected Catholicism. Gavazzi Riot in Quebec are quelled by military.
In February 1854, on the acquittal of the Quebec rioter, Gavazzi's effigy is burnt.
Riot in Montreal
On June 9, a much more serious affray occurred at Montreal, in consequence of the delivery of a lecture there by Gavazzi. The place of delivery was Zion Church, Haymarket Square. A strong body of police were stationed opposite the church. While the lecture was in progress there was an attempt on the part of a band of Roman Catholic Irish to force their way into the church. A few minutes afterwards the latter returned to the assault, and were again driven back. Charles WilsonCharles Wilson (Canadian politician)
Charles Wilson was a Canadian businessman and politician.-Background:Wilson was born in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, son of a Scottish immigrant and a French-Canadian mother....
, the mayor of the city
Mayor of Montreal
The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....
, ordered the troops to fire upon the crowd. The order was obeyed, and five men fell dead. The firing by the troops put an end to aggression on the part of the mob. It is impossible even to approximate the number of the wounded.
Investigation of the riot proceeds at Montreal on June 26.
Protestant journalists such as John Dougall of the Montreal Witness
Montreal Witness
The Montreal Witness was an English-language Protestant newspaper published in Montreal from 1845 to 1938.- Mission and Purpose :The Montreal Witness was founded in 1845, by John Dougall. In the December 15, 1845 edition of the Witness, Dougall explained why he began his paper. Society needed a...
persisted in accusing the mayor for the riots.
The Montrealer painter James D. Duncan depicts the event in his work "Gavazzi riot" (1853).