Montreal's Fte nationale committee explains, apologizes for racism controversy

Organizers of Montreal's Ftenationale parade are apologizing to anyone who was upset by the sight of black teens pushingfloatscarrying white people during Saturday's event.

In a viral video showing the first float of the parade, four teensare seen pushing a float with two white performers on board, in front of a giant book that says, "Once upon a time" in French.

The teens are wearing tan-coloured outfits and are followed by a crowd of predominantly white people wearing white clothes and singing.

The organizers said in a statement released Monday evening that theteens pushing the float were wearing different outfits from the other volunteers in order to stylistically blend in with the pages of the giant book on the float.

• Video of Quebec history float goes viral amid allegations of racism

The news release saysthe teens were straining as they pushed the float along its route on St-Denis Streetbecause one of its wheels was damaged shortly after the parade started.

"Certainly, the team never intended to relay a racist image," the news release stated in French.

Viral video of Quebec history float sparks allegations of racism

7 years ago

Duration 4:35

Flix Brouillet shot the video of the controversial float at Montreal's Fte nationale parade on Saturday

"We are very sensitive to the fact that people who saw this out of context were shocked. We would like to reiterate how sorry we are for how the events unfolded."

Athletes recruited topush the floats

The organizing committee explained that this year, as in 2014 and 2015, the parade was eco-friendly, meaning the floats were pushed by people instead of relying on motors.

"The team in charge of recruiting participants were therefore looking for people who were strong and fit to take on this role without injuring themselves," the news release said.

A member of the committee knew the head of a local high school's athletics division, and after making a donation to the school's academic perseverance program, he arranged to have theathletes push the floats.

The organizing committee stressed that itsonly criterionfor who would push those floats was that they be in good physical condition.

The organizers also stated that several members of the committee came from different cultural communities themselves.

• 'Your actual place in society': Minority Montrealers stung by racial divide at Fte nationale parade

The committee concludedwith offering an apologyto the black community, as well as toSterve Lubin, the head coach at Louis-Joseph-PapineauHighSchool, his team, the singer on the float in the viral video, Annie Villeneuve, as well as the director of the event, Joel Legendre.