GATINEAU, Quebec, April 11 (UPI) -- Police in western Quebec are providing extra protection to a group advocating translation of city bylaws into English after it received e-mail threats.
Last month, the Regional Association of West Quebecers lobbied the city of Gatineau, across the Ottawa River from the capital, to translate its bylaws from French into English, the Ottawa Citizen said.
The city council agreed to the request last week, but in the meantime the group's leader, Andre Hurtubise, reported to Gatineau police a violent e-mail threat had been received.
"Haven't the English already had the misfortune of going down this road in the recent past?" the message said. "Their memory seems short -- maybe it is necessary to put lead in their heads."
The message went on to tell the group to drop its campaign as French is the only official language in Quebec and more than 80 percent of the population speaks French, the newspaper said.
Gatineau police Lt. Gilbert Couture said the group's meetings would receive extra protection, the report said.
