Since its creation on yesterday on June 13, the Instagram account @victims_voices_restauration has acquired more than 2,000 followers for its account which publishes the anonymous stories of Montreal's restaurant and bar workers who have been subject to anything from inappropriate comments to physical and emotional abuse in the workplace.
In its first post made less than 24 hours ago, a statement is made by the account is meant to "give voice to people who have been subject to abuse" by coworkers and employers in Montreal's restaurant scene.
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"We recognize that it is often an toxic environment and there is a fear of repercussions on on our professions and our futures," the statement reads, noting that the account is meant to act as "a safe space, (and that) all testimony is anonymous." Comments on the account's posts have been, to date, supportive.
To date, six stories—one of which does not name the accused—have been shared that include prominent owners, managerial staff and chefs who are known in Montreal circles: Gabriel Derome of L'Assommoir, Inferno owner Nick de Palme, Big in Japan bartender Francis Allard, bar Le Saint-Édouard co-owner Damien Berger and prominent Québec chef Daniel Vézina who was known for his restaurant Laurie Raphaël that closed in 2018.
The creation of this account follows the recent appearance of an account under the name @victims_voices_montreal which had accrued more than 70,000 followers but has since been deactivated. That Instagram account gained notoriety after detailing an account of sexual misconduct by former Simple Plan bassist David Desrosiers who has since left the group, among other names. Another account has since been created in the last few hours.
Further to this Montreal hospitality account's creation, the last week has seen the creation of similar Instagram accounts detailing anonymous stories of abuse according to geographic locations—Saguneay, Rive-Sud, Sherbrooke, Laval, Montérégie, Joliette, Québec, the Outaouais region, and more—or sectors such as Montreal's universities and industries such as Montreal film.
Time Out Montreal has reached out to the account's administrator(s) and/or moderator(s) of @victims_voices_restauration for comment.
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