A massive Unity Rally was held in Montreal's Place du Canada, just days before the Quebec sovereignty referendum led by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Daniel Johnson, and Jean Charest.
Thousands of supporters gathered to express their commitment to Canadian national unity. The enthusiastic crowd waved Canadian flags and signs, demonstrating strong opposition to Quebec's potential separation.
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The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should proclaim sovereignty and become an independent country, with the condition precedent of offering a political and economic agreement to Canada.
The culmination of multiple years of debate and planning after the failure of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords, the referendum was launched by the provincial Parti Québécois government of Jacques Parizeau.
Despite initial predictions of a heavy sovereignist defeat, an eventful and complex campaign followed, with the "Yes" side flourishing after being taken over by Bloc Québécois leader Lucien Bouchard.