Catalonia's right to vote for independence hits close to home for separatist Quebecers

Quebec'ssovereignistleaders are decryingPremier Philippe Couillard and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's refusal to condemn the Spanish government's tough tactics in Catalonia ahead of an independence vote Oct. 1.

Tensions have escalated as Spanish Prime MinisterMarianoRajoyhas ramped up measures to try and prevent the referendum from happening.

PartiQubcoisleaderJean-FranoisLise spoke to a crowd of about 300 people at a demonstration in downtown Montreal Saturdaywhere he compared the events unfolding in Catalonia to Quebec's October Crisis.

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"The brute force that has been used to arrest people, to accuse them of sedition, to make raids it's akin to the War Measures Act here in 1970,"Lisesaid in reference tothe act put in placeby former prime ministerPierre ElliottTrudeauin late1970in an attempt to restore order in the province.

For years, Catalans andQuebecershave expressed solidarity for their respective separatist movements.

"It's a people and they want to determine their future," said David Gascon at the protest, comparing Quebec and Catalonian separatism.

"It impacts me that I can see a democratic state who would repress their own people. They just want to vote, they just want to express themselves."

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No comment from Couillard, Trudeau

At the protest,Lise and other Quebec separatist leaders, including the Bloc Qubcois'sMartine Ouellet and Manon MassofQubec Solidaire also urged the provincial and federal governments to speak out.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaid he wouldn't comment on Spain and its "internal processes," which he said other countries shouldn't get involved in.

Meanwhile, Couillardsaid he is "preoccupied" by the tensions in Spain this week, but said it wasn't up to the provincial government to comment on the situation.

He said comparisons between the provinceand the Catalan sovereignist movements are "risky."

Responding to criticism of his response, he said opening up the debate for Quebecindependence would mean discussing the 11 First Nations in the province's right for self-determination as well.

First Nations and self-determination

WinonaPolson-Lahache, chief policy advisor of the Mohawk Council, said Couillardwas onto something.

She said it would be a discussion that would have to be had before Quebec thinks about separating from Canada, adding much of the province's territory is unceded First Nations land.

Because of that, she says it would be hard for many to relinquish direct relations with the federal Crown.

"I have a hard time imagining that Quebec could be divisible without addressing the rightful interests, the interest-holders which are the First Nations, they're the rightful interest holders over the land," she said

"On a day to day basis, it's hard to get both of those parties [provincial and federal governments]to take First Nations interests seriously, let alone within the context of any sort of separation," Polson-Lahacheadded.