Peace and love in Montreal

Thanks to social media, the world can sometimes get smaller as it swells in size. Instantaneous communications is the norm now, and it’s a luxury that so many can still afford, no matter their station. Many of us will remember a time where using the post, a telephone or, if we were lucky, a fax machine was the only way to stay in touch. And, time being what it is, it’s only what’s expected that, as we age, we also forget. But, we also learn and retain, as some things never dissipate into the mists of time. But here’s one you’re sure to remember. On May 26, 1969, John Lennon & Yoko Ono kicked off their bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth in Montreal.

The Bed-ins for Peace were two week-long nonviolent protests against wars, intended as experimental tests of new ways to promote peace. As the Vietnam War raged in 1969, artist Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon held one protest at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The idea is derived from a “sit-in”, in which a group of protesters remain seated in front of or within an establishment until they are evicted, arrested, or their requests are met.

The public proceedings were filmed, and later turned into a documentary Bed Peace, which was made available for free on YouTube in August 2011 by Yoko Ono, as part of her website “Imagine Peace”.

And, of course, we wouldn’t be writing about this if a.) we didn’t have something for you to experience. b.) if our intent was to help in bringing peace back into this ultra-violent place in time, and c.) celebrate two artists who meant what they said. You can stay at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, and John and Yoko’s room is available for your own peace and love. See below.