MONTREAL – Lucien Bouchard says he was bullied as a kid and now he’s sharing his story to help denounce the phenomenon.
The former Quebec premier made the revelation in an online video released Wednesday as part of a campaign that coincides with Bullying Awareness Week.
“I’m not only speaking theoretically, I also lived it during my childhood,” Bouchard says in French during the two-minute video, during which he speaks to the camera while standing alone in front of white background.
“I know what it’s like to be bullied by someone much older and much stronger.”
He says bullying attacks personal freedom, takes away the victim’s dignity and can lead to a spiral of violence.
Bouchard says aggressors try to deal with their own personal problems by targeting others with actions that prove to be self-degrading.
“Bullying is a social problem,” says Bouchard, a prominent figure in Quebec’s independence movement and a key founder of the Bloc Quebecois.
“We must convince one and all that it’s an unacceptable way to act in society.”
Bouchard finishes his statement by holding his right palm in front of the camera and saying: “I say ‘no’ to bullying.”
The video was released on a day when the federal government was expected to introduce legislation that cracks down on cyberbullying. The Conservatives have scheduled a news conference in Ottawa as part of Bullying Awareness Week.
His video is part of an awareness campaign launched by the Jasmin-Roy foundation, a Quebec organization dedicated to the fight against bullying.
The video campaign also features anti-bullying messages delivered by notable Quebecers, including Olympic champion Alexandre Bilodeau and Montreal actor Jay Baruchel.
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