MONTREAL — A Quebec nationalist group is accusing the City of Montreal of thwarting its plans to commemorate a now-iconic speech by former French president Charles de Gaulle.

The Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste says it wanted access to the balcony of city hall on July 24 to re-enact the moment when de Gaulle famously shouted "Vive le Quebec libre" in a 1967 speech.

Former Quebec premier Bernard Landry said he is disappointed the city refused the group's request to honour what he called a turning point in the province's independence movement and its history as a whole.

'A large part of humanity had never heard of Quebec'

Before the speech, "a large part of humanity had never heard of Quebec, nor of the Quebec question," Landry told a news conference Wednesday.

Landry, who is the group's honorary president, said he believes the city is making a mistake in not realizing how important the event was for Montreal as well.

The Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste intends to hold the event in front of city hall instead.

Current president Maxime Laporte says an actor portraying de Gaulle will make his entrance in an electric car — a nod to the former French president's interest in technology.