Survivors of Quebec mass shootings plead for ban on assault weapons

The president of the Quebec City mosque where six men were fatally shot in January 2017travelled to Ottawa Tuesdayto plead withthe government to impose an outrightban on all semi-automatic and military-style weapons in Canada.

BoufeldjaBenabdallahappeared before thestanding committee on public safety and national security, which is now reviewingC-71, a bill to amendthe federal Firearms Act.

Accompanied by two of the men hit by bullets in the mosqueattack, Benabdallahcalledfor a prohibition on weapons like those killerAlexandreBissonnettecarried the night of the mass shooting.

"Everyone is appalled that this individual had an assault weapon,"Benabdallahsaid of the Czech Small Arms rifleBissonnetteintended to use to kill those gatheredinside the mosque, on Jan. 29, 2017.

At the recent sentencing hearing for the 28-year-old killer,evidence revealedBissonnettewalked up to the mosquecarrying the .223-calibre semi-automatic rifle with two illegal magazines, whichcould have fired up to 30 rounds in quick succession.

While the magazines were illegal, the rifle itself is legal in Canada, something thatBenabdallahsaid was extremely upsetting for members of the mosque.

"These weapons destroy lives, they are military weapons and should not circulate in our society," he said.

• Videos of fatal mosque attack show shooter reload as victims seek cover

The riflejammed during the attack, at which pointBissonnette took out the 9-mm pistol he was carrying and began shooting,killing six men and wounding five others.

"We nearly lost many more lives, and we do not want our fellow citizens to lose their lives,"Benabdallahsaid.

Bill C-71 falls short, saysPoly Remembers

At Benabdallah'sside was Heidi Rathjen, co-ordinator of Poly Remembers,which includes students, families and victims of the 1989 shooting at Montreal's cole polytechniquein which14 women were gunned down.

"TheRCMPhas warned the public security minister several times of the danger of these weapons,"Rathjensaid, calling for a strengthening of the proposed law.

Poly Remembers approvesof Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale'sintention to prohibit two groupsof firearms that were downgraded under the Conservative government:the Swiss Arms Classic series and allCZ-858 rifles. (A grandfather clause would permit current owners of these weapons to keep them under certain conditions.)

The group isdisappointed, however, thatC-71makes no explicitmention of the private possession of weapons that have been used in mass shootings in North America.

"There is no rational reason to justify private ownership of firearms designed to kill humans," the group argued in its brief.

The proposed changestoCanada's firearms laws, tabled byGoodale in March, includemore extensive background checks for buyersand the introduction of record-keeping practices for vendors.

• Liberals propose tightening Canada's firearms law with new record-keeping practices

It's being criticized by some gun enthusiasts as a roundabout way to recreate the long gun registry dismantled by the former Harper government.

On Thursday, the committee will hear from theCanadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, as well as theCanadian Shooting Sports Association, among other groups.