Nadeau-Dubois made the revelation Thursday amid controversy over statements about Nadeau-Dubois by Quebecor columnist Gilles Proulx.
QUEBEC — Two people were arrested under suspicion of making death threats against Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois during the last election campaign.
Nadeau-Dubois made the revelation Thursday amid controversy over statements about Nadeau-Dubois by Quebecor columnist Gilles Proulx. He said the statements made on Quebecor’s QUB Radio put his family in danger.
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“I’m convinced that it was not that Mr. Proulx’s intention. But hateful, violent comments, it fuels a climate that is already harmful, that is already full of violence and hate toward men and women in politics.”
Nadeau-Dubois’s office said the two arrests were made after social media posts during the campaign. The Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) confirmed to the party that charges were filed against the two people. One of them is Benoit Kierans of Franklin, who pleaded not guilty to two charges of uttering threats last fall, though those threats were not death threats.
La Presse Canadienne was not able to confirm if charges were filed against the other person arrested. The DPCP did not respond to a request for information.
Proulx said in a column on Thursday he was being attacked “on false premises.”
The party had originally said it would explore legal avenues in response to Proulx’s comments, but later said they would not file a criminal complaint against him. The party has boycotted QUB Radio until it receives an apology from Proulx, from host Richard Martineau and from QUB Radio.