Overview
- Montreal police confirmed an investigation after video from Saturday’s May Day rally showed demonstrators using a guillotine to cut off a papier‑mâché head of Labour Minister Jean Boulet.
- Alliance Ouvrière said it staged the performance and called it a carnival‑style symbol of anger at political and economic elites.
- Major unions that organized the march issued a joint apology, said they were not involved, and described the beheading as an isolated act.
- Quebec political figures from several parties condemned the stunt, with leaders such as Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, Charles Milliard, and Minister Chantal Rouleau calling it unacceptable.
- Legal experts said possible charges could include a death threat, though prosecutors have not announced any arrests or charges, and the group tied its actions to job losses after Amazon’s January 2025 warehouse closures.