October Crisis: 50 years after a bloody spasm that nearly tore Canada apart

Tanks rumbled down Montreal streets. Soldiers stood guard in Quebec City. After the declaration of martial law, police conducted warrantless raids, detaining nearly 500 people. Two high-profile kidnappings – of a British diplomat and a senior politician – ended with a grisly murder.

For a brief period in October 1970, Canada was gripped by fear as separatists in the province of Quebec dramatically escalated their battle for independence.

Since then, however, the dramatic events – which came to be known as the October Crisis – have for many Canadians faded into history.

As the 50th anniversary arrives, a flood of new documentaries are revisiting the dark chapter in Canadian history, probing both separatist violence and the government’s decision to suspend civil liberties