Incident Date:
October 05, 1970
October 05, 1970 - December 03, 1970
Incident Successful: Yes
Location: Montreal, Quebec Canada
Perpetrators: "Liberation Cell, Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ)"
Event Type: Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Weapon Type(s): Firearms (Automatic Weapon (incl. semiauto))
Organization Type: Separatist,
Suicide Attack: No
Hoax: No
Violent Extremism:
Doubt Terror: No
Target Information
1- Diplomatic(Diplomats/Families/Individuals (outside of embassy))
Canadian Target: No
Canadian Victim:
Canadian Perpetrator:
By foreigners against foreign target(s) in Canada:
Victims: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries
Perpetrators: 5 involved, 0 fatalities, 0 injuries
Description: "10/05/1970: James Richard Jasper Cross, the British trade commissioner in Quebec, was kidnapped from his Montreal home and thrown into a taxi by five members of the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) who were carrying M1s. The kidnappers were later identified as Marc Carbonneau, Jacques Lanctot, Jacques and Louise Cosette-Trudel, and Yves Langlois. In a series of notes sent to the Canadian government, the group demanded publication of a political manifesto in all Quebec newspapers; release of certain political prisoners; a chartered aircraft to fly the prisoners to Cuba or Algeria; $500,000 in gold bullion to be placed in the plane as a voluntary tax; federal jobs for 450 truck drivers belonging to Lepalme Service, a private postal firm, who had lost their jobs in a recent dispute with the federal post office; the publication of the name and photograph of an FLQ informer who led police to the discovery of an FLQ cell; and the stopping of a police manhunt for Cross. The terrorists imposed a 48 hour deadline. On October 16, the government invoked emergency powers, authorizing police and troops to conduct searches and arrest without warrants. Cross's kidnappers released him unharmed on December 4. Several individuals were flown to Cuba under the safe conduct agreement. "
References: 1) "Kellett, A., Beanlands, B., Deacon, J., Jeffrey, H., & Lapalme, C. (1991). Terrorism in Canada 1960-1989, User Report no. 1990-16. Ottawa: Solicitor General Canada, National Security Coordination Centre, Police and Security Branch. p. 179."
2) RCMP Chronology. p. 3.
3) GTD 1970-2012 data file
4) RAND
5) "Mickolus, Edward F. (1980). Trasnational Terrorism: Chronology of Events, 1968-1979. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 220-221."
6) "Ross, Jeffrey I. (1992). ATIC IV: Chronology of Domestic and International Terrorist Events in Canada, 1960-1990. Montreal, Qc: International Centre for Comparative Criminology. p. 73"
7) "Laurendeau, M. (1990). Les Quebecois Violent. Montreal, QC: Boreal.p. 320"
Attached Files: