Anarchopanda

{{Short description|Unofficial mascot of 2012 Quebec student protests}}

{{redirect|Julien Villeneuve|the French artist|Julien Vallou de Villeneuve}}

{{expand French|date=May 2025}}

File:Anarchopanda 22mai2012.jpg

Julien Villeneuve, also known as Anarchopanda, ({{IPA|fr|anaʁkopɑ̃da}}) is a Canadian philosophy professor from the Collège de Maisonneuve known for dressing in a panda costume during the 2012 Quebec student protests, in which he hugged both students and police officers.{{Cite web |date=2012-08-01 |title=Montreal Professor Is Costumed Crusader at Quebec Student Protests |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/montreal-professor-is-costumed-crusader-at-quebec-student-protests/ |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=The Chronicle of Higher Education |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218234540/https://www.chronicle.com/article/montreal-professor-is-costumed-crusader-at-quebec-student-protests/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |date=15 May 2012 |title=Grève étudiante: un panda pour la gratuité scolaire |url=http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/15/panda-gratuite-scolaire_n_1519899.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621180309/http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/15/panda-gratuite-scolaire_n_1519899.html |archive-date=21 June 2012 |accessdate=27 May 2012 |publisher=Huffington Post Quebec |language=fr}} His first appearance in the costume was at a protest on May 8, 2012.{{Cite web |last=Pindera |first=Loreen |date=June 22, 2016 |title=Quebec Superior Court strikes down Montreal's ban on masked protesters |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/anarchopanda-mask-ban-protests-p6-unconstitutional-1.3647684 |access-date=October 6, 2022 |website=CBC |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006162937/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/anarchopanda-mask-ban-protests-p6-unconstitutional-1.3647684 |url-status=live }} He stated that his aim in wearing the costume was to lower tensions and make protests safer for students.{{Cite web |last=Noël |first=Brigitte |date=2016-06-22 |title=Panda Suit-Wearing Philosopher Defeats Montreal’s Anti-Protest Law in Court Rumble |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/panda-suit-wearing-philosopher-defeats-montreals-anti-protest-law-in-court-rumble/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=VICE |language=en-US}} Villeneuve has a strong affinity for Plato, Aristotle and Plotinus,{{cite news|last=Lalonde|first=Catherine|title=AnarchoPanda : la philosophie dans le trottoir|url=https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/350953/anarchopanda-la-philosophie-dans-le-trottoir|accessdate=27 May 2012|newspaper=Le Devoir|date=26 May 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906190102/http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/350953/anarchopanda-la-philosophie-dans-le-trottoir|archive-date=6 September 2012|url-status=live}} and identifies as an anarcho-pacifist.{{cite news|last=Guerchani|first=Sarra|title=Vedette des manifestations étudiantes, Qui est Anarchopanda?|url=http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/regional/montreal/archives/2012/05/20120523-051454.html|accessdate=27 May 2012|newspaper=TVA Nouvelles|date=23 May 2012|archive-date=2 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702220155/http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/regional/montreal/archives/2012/05/20120523-051454.html|url-status=live}}

In 2012, Montreal banned the use of masks in protests.{{Cite web |date=May 18, 2012 |title=Montreal bans wearing masks at protests |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-bans-wearing-masks-at-protests-1.1151581 |website=CBC News}} Villeneuve protested the bylaw in costume, resulting in police seizing the costume's head in April 2013;{{Cite web |date=April 6, 2013 |title=Montreal protest mascot Anarchopanda’s head seized by police |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-protest-mascot-anarchopanda-s-head-seized-by-police-1.1335045 |website=CBC News}} it was returned several days later.{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2013 |title=Montreal student protest mascot Anarchopanda gets head back |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-student-protest-mascot-anarchopanda-gets-head-back-1.1414114 |website=CBC News}} The ban on protestors wearing masks was struck down by the Superior Court of Quebec in 2016, but the bylaw still required protestors to notify police of their routes for non-spontaneous protests. Villeneuve challenged the ruling in court, arguing that it did not go far enough and defined a "spontaneous protest" too narrowly.{{Cite web |last=MacArthur |first=Cecilia |date=August 2, 2016 |title=Anarchopanda takes fight against Montreal's protest bylaw to Court of Appeal |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/anarchopanda-p6-itinerary-appeal-1.3704263 |website=CBC News}} The bylaw was entirely repealed in 2019, to which Villeneuve said, "it's been a long time coming".{{Cite web |last=Shingler |first=Benjamin |date=November 18, 2019 |title=At long last, Montreal does away with its controversial protest bylaw |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-p6-bylaw-anarchopanda-1.5363578 |website=CBC News}}

The Anarchopanda persona was discontinued in 2020 following public allegations of sexual assault against Villeneuve.{{Cite web |title=L'homme derrière Anarchopanda, la mascotte du printemps érable, aurait agressé et manipulé une fille de 16 ans |url=https://quebecnouvelles.info/lhomme-derriere-anarchopanda-la-mascotte-du-printemps-erable-aurait-agresse-et-manipule-une-fille-de-16-ans/ |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=Québec Nouvelles |language=fr-CA |archive-date=2022-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928174722/https://quebecnouvelles.info/lhomme-derriere-anarchopanda-la-mascotte-du-printemps-erable-aurait-agresse-et-manipule-une-fille-de-16-ans/ |url-status=live }} Due to the allegations, several activist groups cut ties with him.{{Cite web |last=Proteau |first=Alex |date=July 13, 2020 |title=Allégations d'inconduite sexuelle: Anarchopanda largué par un média et des groupes militants |url=https://www.24heures.ca/2020/07/13/allegations-dinconduite-sexuelle-anarchopanda-largue-par-un-media-et-des-groupes-militants |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=24 heures |language=fr}}