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Student strike #9 -- jusqu'à la victoire
Sun, 2012-05-20 19:16
#1
Student strike #9 -- jusqu'à la victoire
Sun, 2012-05-20 23:52
#2
Tonight's demonstration was declared illegal, again, as soon as it began.
Unfortunately, it would appear that the police van which made this announcement later caught fire somehow. It was just filmed being carried by on a flatbed, to the applause of demonstrators, showing their support for the difficult job the police face.
Approximately 116 people have been arrested, for no good reason that is apparent to anyone.
CUTV (Concordia student TV) reporters and camera crew were assaulted on multiple occasions tonight - deliberately targeted. While being respectful in its coverage, CUTV crews have not told lies to cover up for the fascist cops' crimes, which has led directly to an attempt by the cops to attack and intimidate them.
But MSM reporters are no longer being spared either. A reporter of La Presse and another of Le Journal de Montréal appear to have been arrested, for no reason. Here is the La Presse report (my translation):
[T]wo journalists were caught in a police trap. One of them was wearing ski glasses on their head to protect the eyes against gas and possible projectile debris. She was shoved and lightly injured on the mouth.Despite their protests and their attempts to reason with the police, it took 20 minutes before they were freed; a police officer told them he "didn't give a shit" about the fact that they were journalists.
Source: [url=http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/dossiers/conflit-etudiant/201205/20/01... reigns in downtown Montréal[/url]. And this seriously injured demonstrator (10:30 pm) was taken to hospital:
Sun, 2012-05-20 23:52
#3
They think a uniform gives them the right to trample other's rights. Assholes! Charest and his henchmen are all a bunch of asshole deluxes.
Sun, 2012-05-20 23:55
#4
They just attacked the CUTV crew again, on camera. They have been shoved, hit with batons in the course of the evening. They are using stun grenades on the crowd.
You can see it all [url=http://cutvmontreal.ca/live]here[/url].
Mon, 2012-05-21 00:02
#5
Boom Boom
This kind of repression leads only to overthrow of those in power. I wonder if protest marches at the National Assembly are next.
Mon, 2012-05-21 00:11
#6
They've been going on starting at least from when Bill 78 passed, but they've generally been smaller and calmer than in Montréal, naturally.
Mon, 2012-05-21 00:31
#7
Boom Boom, the centre of power is in Montréal, not at the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, "illegal" demonstrations are continuing in various places downtown. Fear of fines and arrest and prison and physical violence doesn't seem to be doing the trick.
Another demo is apparently just starting now from Parc Émilie-Gamelin.
Mon, 2012-05-21 00:56
#8
Unfortunately, it would appear that the police van which made this announcement later caught fire somehow.
According to the police it encountered an electrical problem.
I'm hearing from friends that buses and Metros have been ordered by STM management to refuse transit to students heading to and from demos.
Mon, 2012-05-21 01:26
#9
Two UTV journalists have been arrested.
Mon, 2012-05-21 01:34
#10
[url=https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-ash4/v/434761/289/101508966014... in the streets of Montreal[/url]
Mon, 2012-05-21 01:38
#11
Police have run over a protester. Link is not safe for stomachs.
Mon, 2012-05-21 01:43
#12
Write To The Quebec Premier, Jean Charest
https://www.premier-ministre.gouv.qc.ca/premier-ministre/joindre-pm/cour...
RESIGN NOW!
Mon, 2012-05-21 02:17
#13
..found this on a spanish site that has gone international. there's a great video here as well.
Request for solidarity and support for the Legal Committee of the CLASSE
Sisters, brothers,
We write you during a dark time for democratic, human and associative rights in Quebec with the following appeal for your help and solidarity. As you have no doubt heard, the government recently enacted legislation that amounts to the single biggest attack on the right to organize and freedom of expression in North America since the McCarthy period and the biggest attack on civil and democratic rights since the enactment of the War Measures Act in 1970. Arguably, this recent law will unduly criminalize more law-abiding citizens than even McCarthy’s hearings and the War Measures Act ever could.
quote:
One cannot view this law in isolation. In the past few months, the Québec student movement – inspired by Occupy, the Indignados of Spain, the students of Chile, and over 50 years of student struggle in Québec; and presently at North America’s forefront of fighting the government’s austerity agenda – has been confronted by precedent-shattering judicial and police repression in an attempt to force the end of the strike and our right to organize collectively. Our strike was voted and is re-voted every week in local general
assemblies across Québec. As of May 18th, 2012 our committee has documented and is supporting 472 criminal accusations as well as 1047 ticket and penal offenses. One week in April saw over 600 arrests in three days. And those numbers only reflect those charged with an offense, without mentioning the thousands pepper sprayed and tear gassed, clubbed and beaten, detained and released. It does not mention Francis Grenier, who lost use of most of an eye when a sound grenade was illegally thrown by a police officer into his face in downtown Montreal. It does not mention Maxence Valade who lost a full eye and Alexandre Allard who clung to life in a coma on a hospital bed for days, both having received a police rubber bullet to the head in Victoriaville. And the thousands of others brutalized, terrorized, harassed and assaulted on our streets. Four students are currently being charged under provisions of the anti-terrorist laws enacted following September 11th....
http://takethesquare.net/2012/05/20/request-for-solidarity-and-support-f...
Mon, 2012-05-21 02:21
#14
..from the same site.
Demand of support against dictature in Quebec parliament
quote:
If it is possible for you to support us by going to our ambassy, or the Quebec office in your city to defend the international right of expression, of assembly and of protest, you would give us a great help. Please send this message to the other Occupys and Indignados.
With solidarity and indignation,
http://takethesquare.net/2012/05/19/demand-of-support-against-dictature-...
Mon, 2012-05-21 09:08
#15
The demonstration(s) went on till about 3:30 this morning. At least 305 arrests, 20 injured.
Mon, 2012-05-21 09:18
#16
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05MoKEEYAk]Constable 728 - a star is born![/url]
Cop pepper sprays a peaceful crowd. See in particular the beginning of the clip, then starting at 3:15.
Mon, 2012-05-21 11:11
#17
Police have run over a protester. Link is not safe for stomachs.
hi ya this link doesn't work
Mon, 2012-05-21 11:27
#18
Police have run over a protester. Link is not safe for stomachs.hi ya this link doesn't work
The cops took great pains in their Twitter feed to deny that they had run over anyone. Also, I have to say I haven't heard or seen any clear corroborating reports in the social media that anyone was actually "run over" or injured, nor any name offered, etc.
Before the fascists take this down, you can judge for yourself - I'm downloading it in case it disappears:
Also, if anyone has more info, or video, please post!!!
Mon, 2012-05-21 11:40
#19
Thanks to all posting in these threads, especially the videos. It sure looks like the police running over someone.
Mon, 2012-05-21 12:14
#20
This kind of repression leads only to overthrow of those in power. I wonder if protest marches at the National Assembly are next.
As mentioned above, there have been many demos at the National Assembly, though on a smaller scale. This is the result of last night's, which saw hundreds of demonstrators in action.
The report is a good example of fascist "journalism": "The police had to arrest..." "Exasperated, the police then had to..."
The reporter interviewed the cops' mouthpiece, and no one else. The mouthpiece praised the organizers of the demo for cooperating with cops, for providing the route of the march in advance, etc. Nonetheless, she said, unfortunately, when the cops ordered a group to disperse, they didn't - so what choice did the cops have but to arrest 28 of them, take them to the cop shop, and hand them all fines of $494 each for obstructing traffic? It's all so sad, isn't it, when people stop following orders?
[url=http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2012...'s the article.[/url]
And by the way, CLASSE has notified media that it will make an "important announcement" this afternoon.
Mon, 2012-05-21 12:29
#21
Here's the CBC report:
Montreal Protesters Defy Demo Law and Clash with Police
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/21/montreal-protest...
"Police fire teargas and muzzle blasts, arrest more than 300"
Mon, 2012-05-21 12:31
#22
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05MoKEEYAk]Constable 728 - a star is born![/url]
Cop pepper sprays a peaceful crowd. See in particular the beginning of the clip, then starting at 3:15.
Has anyone unmasked this pig yet. Who is 728?
Mon, 2012-05-21 13:05
#23
Here's the CBC report:
Montreal Protesters Defy Demo Law and Clash with Police
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/21/montreal-protest...
"Police fire teargas and muzzle blasts, arrest more than 300"
Unusually excellent report for the CBC - thanks, NDPP, hadn't seen it!
Small correction (the fog of war causes this stuff):
One of the reporters was wearing a ski mask to protect against police chemical irritants, and was lightly injured in the fray.
In fact, she (Gabrielle Duchaine) was only wearing ski goggles on her forehead - so she wasn't even in violation of the fascist anti-mask bylaw. Also, she clarified later in a tweet that she was shoved by cops, but not injured. I believe her, because she wasn't afraid to post right in her La Presse story that the cops told her they "didn't give a fuck" that she was a journalist - although La Presse later censored that out of the story, I see the CBC above retained it.
Has anyone unmasked this pig yet. Who is 728?
No one seems to know. But she's nothing special. All the cops are just following orders. Focusing on individuals (other than to exemplify the fascist climate) is usually a dead end. Like, who cares really that 45 cops are going to have some kind of phony hearings after the G20? Does that mean that they were all under strict orders to be angelic, but a few bad apples went too far? Not.
Mon, 2012-05-21 13:13
#24
We don't allow drink servers to inhale second hand smoke in their workplaces but reporters can't wear protection from the real likelyhood of them encountering tear gas while doing their extremely important jobs.
Mon, 2012-05-21 13:42
#25
[size=25]OMG!! This is terrible!!![/size]
Look what's happened to the websites of the Ministry of Public Security and the Police Ethics complaints website!!!
http://securitepublique.gouv.qc.ca
http://deontologie-policiere.gouv.qc.ca
Hopefully these vital information sources will be recaptured soon from the hands of the terrorists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mon, 2012-05-21 13:56
#26
I wonder how much of this is Charest reading polls and thinking that this is what they want him to do.
Because from a strategic standpoint, I don't see how just smashing them harder and harder is going to do anything but make things worse. And every escalation makes it that much more difficult to reach a mutual solution.
Mon, 2012-05-21 14:09
#27
NDPP[size=25]OMG!! This is terrible!!![/size]
Look what's happened to the websites of the Ministry of Public Security and the Police Ethics complaints website!!!
http://securitepublique.gouv.qc.ca
http://deontologie-policiere.gouv.qc.ca
Hopefully these vital information sources will be recaptured soon from the hands of the terrorists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are Anonymous
We are Legion
We do not Forgive
We do not Forget
We will Unite
Expect us
Mon, 2012-05-21 14:33
#28
...from a strategic standpoint, I don't see how just smashing them harder and harder is going to do anything but make things worse. And every escalation makes it that much more difficult to reach a mutual solution.
Charest obviously doesn't know his history either: Jean Drapeau tried this same tactic in 1967 (municipal bylaw banning protests/parades/manifs) and the next three years saw some of the worst social upheaval in Quebec's history. The bylaw was eventually overtuned (in 1970) as unconstitutional. I have confidence this new law will also be overturned eventually, but in the meantime.........
Also of interest (historically speaking): Montréal's riot squad was established under Drapeau, in 1968 - as a result of consultations with the Riot Squad in Chicago. You might remember this particular US squad as being held accountable for the violent and brutal police riot during the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention.
And they say history doesn't repeat itself.....
Mon, 2012-05-21 15:56
#29
love is free
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05MoKEEYAk]Constable 728 - a star is born![/url]
Cop pepper sprays a peaceful crowd. See in particular the beginning of the clip, then starting at 3:15.
i can't believe how casually this guy inflicts pain, he's psychopathic or something.
Mon, 2012-05-21 16:03
#30
i can't believe how casually this guy inflicts pain, he's psychopathic or something.
It's not a guy, it's a woman.
And while I admit it's tempting, I really think that speculating about individual traits and motives to explain even little scenes like this one is to miss the big picture of what's happening in Québec right now. The police are just following orders. And those giving the orders are not "psychopaths". They are respectable, well-dressed, and very dangerous.
Mon, 2012-05-21 16:17
#31
Here it is:
[url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2012/05/21/001-classe-loi-7... will defy Bill 78[/url]
"Already, thousands of citizens have announced their intention to defy the law, but to date, no organization has yet had the courage to speak in their name. Today, CLASSE assumes that role," declared its spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois during a press conference Monday.
So - under Bill 78, this will mean $125,000 daily fines (or $250,000 for a repeat "offence"). But just to show how fascism works, another section of Bill 78 will prohibit the member associations of CLASSE from sending it any more money...
No one ever accused the fascists of being intelligent.
Mon, 2012-05-21 16:31
#32
Police State Bill Passed to Suppress Quebec Student Strike - by Keith Jones
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may2012/pers-m21.shtml
"Canada's ruling elite has enthusiastically welcomed Bill 72, dismissing concerns over the legislation's assault on the right to free speech or assembly. Quebec's most influential daily La Presse, backed the legislation as a necessary weapon to 'kill the snake of violence and disorder'. Alongside an editorial endorsing Bill 72, the Globe and Mail, Canada's newspaper of record, carried a comment titled; 'Tuition Protesters are the Greeks of Canada'.
Behind the ruling class's frenzied response to the strike is their recognition that it represents an implicit challenge to the austerity measures being implemented by governments at every level and of every political stripe in the spectrum of official Canadian politics, Their greatest fear is that the student strike could become the catalyst for a mass movement against their drive to place the full burden of the capitaist crisis on working people.."
Quebec Law Criminalizing Student Strike Threatens Basic Rights of All
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may2012/queb-m19.shtml
"Bill 78 is an attack on more than just the students who have been opposing the provincial Liberal government's plan to raise university tuition fees by 82 percent over the next seven years - and not just because the new law establishes chilling legal precedents and because the government and elite deem the breaking of the student strike as fundamental to pressing forward with rightwing austerity meansures against the working class as a whole..
The government clearly hopes that support for the strike will erode over the course of the summer, especially when students realize the severity of the criminal sanctions with which they are now threatened. But there is another more important and more sinister reason for 'suspending' the winter session. The government and police intend to use the three months to carefully prepare for an unprecedented police deployment across Quebec, using brute force and mass arrests, should it prove necessary, to break the student strike.."
Mon, 2012-05-21 16:34
#33
Mon, 2012-05-21 18:49
#34
The site seems to be down. Let's hope it's because of too much traffic of people signing up!!
Here are a couple of links to news items about CLASSE declaring it will defy Bill 78 through non-violent action and calling upon its members to do likewise:
[url=http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10385406]CJAD news (English)[/url]
[url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2012/05/21/001-classe-loi-7... CLASSE défiera la loi 78[/url]
ETA: Wow, it's back!!
Mon, 2012-05-21 18:58
#35
Quebec's Largest Student Group Vows Defiance of Emergency Law
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/quebecs-largest-student-group-vows-d...
"Quebec's largest student group has vowed to defy the Quebec government's new emergency law, calling for a summer of protests and acts of civil disobedience.."
Mon, 2012-05-21 22:01
#36
28th consecutive nightly demonstration tonight. 4th one in "violation" of Bill 78.
Mon, 2012-05-21 22:59
#37
Thousands marching in peace, very thin police presence. That's a cause and effect thing, you know.
Mon, 2012-05-21 23:41
#38
[size=25]"Wake up Westmount!"[/size]
Looks as if they're going to pay Charest another visit at home (on Victoria St.). This is about the 4th time in recent weeks.
ETA: Ooo, naughty:
[size=15]"Crions plus fort, pour que les riches fassent des cauchemars!"[/size]
23:35 - Demo arrives at Charest's home; at least 50 riot cops outside; and SPVM is now (predictably) tweeting that there have been criminal acts (projectiles - the usual bullshit lies). I guess they've decided that this demo, which was declared "illegal" at 9 pm but has been "tolerated" since, has gone on long enough.
23:40. CUTV feed is back (was down about 15 min). A conga line was formed facing the riot cops outside Charest's. An "open house at Jean Charest's" has been declared by some demonstrators. Everything is still light-hearted, humorous, determined.
Tue, 2012-05-22 00:01
#39
Catchfire
Translating the Printemps Érable
Translating the printemps érable is a volunteer collective attempting to balance the English media's extremely poor coverage of the student conflict in Québec by translating media that has been published in French into English. These are amateur translations; we have done our best to translate these pieces fairly and coherently, but the final texts may still leave something to be desired. If you find any important errors in any of these texts, we would be very grateful if you would share them with us at [email protected].Please read and distribute these texts in the spirit in which they were intended; that of solidarity and the sharing of information.
Tue, 2012-05-22 02:30
#40
crypticvalentine
Montreal
Tue, 2012-05-22 06:25
#41
Police arrested 36 demonstrators in Sherbrooke who refused orders to diisperse when a demonstration in front of the courthouse was declared illegal. They sat down instead and stayed put peacefully. Police said they would face charges under Bil 78 for not providing their "route" in advance and not cooperating with police.
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/estrie/2012/05/22/001-manifestation-e...
Tue, 2012-05-22 08:11
#42
It just occurred to me. Today's demo will be the largest-scale illegal action in Canadian history - because no 8-hour written notice has been provided to police. Whatever happened to law and order?
Tue, 2012-05-22 09:18
#43
the way rabble highlights students' 'red square' symbol in its feature article ought to be clarified- explanation ought to be provided of the meaning of the symbol in the feature.
Assaults on civilians are criminal.
Police conducting assaults on peaceful protesters ought to be arrested and charged.
Only those throwing projectiles at others ought to be individually arrested, it is wrong to round up protesters or silence dissent altogether with anti-protest laws.
The anti-mask law is unhealthy and abrogates our right to safety of the person, because goggles and bandanas are necessary to prevent injury from tear gas, pepper spray, and, clearly, rubber bullets and other aggression of police.
Students should not be assaulted nor silenced for protesting a rise in tuition fees, a rise which undermines their access and right to education.
Tuition fees ought to be lowered. Provinces and territories can run deficits, tax the rich, and borrow until such time as they, and we, all are able to get the federal government to create money, to spend more in transfer payments to uphold our human rights, including our social and cultural rights and programs. www.neweconomicperspectives.org videos of May10 outline how a federal government with 'sovereign currency is always solvent', as Canada is. W.Black at the same site outlines how federal governments can spend without more debt- by separating spending from borrowing.
Tue, 2012-05-22 09:30
#44
the way rabble highlights students' 'red square' symbol in its feature article ought to be clarified- explanation ought to be provided of the meaning of the symbol in the feature.
That's because for Leigh "McCarthy" here, it might imply some vague association with..(gulp)..Communism.
Tue, 2012-05-22 09:43
#45
Boom Boom
What time are today's 'hundreds of thousands' supposed to turn out to mark the strikes 100th day? I'd like to watch it on the news if it's covered.
Tue, 2012-05-22 10:11
#46
the name-calling here is another personal insult, opposed to Babble Policy.
i'd actually like to know what the symbol means to the students.
and i hope there is a lot of support for the students, against bad laws and police aggression, and to reduce tuition fees.
Tue, 2012-05-22 10:32
#47
i'd actually like to know what the symbol means to the students.
the safety-pin clad symbol is inspired by the French phrase “carrément dans le rouge” (meaning “squarely in the red”)– it’s a wordplay on students trapped in debt caused by tuition hikes and cuts in bursaries.
Tue, 2012-05-22 11:05
#48
thank you for explaining.
Tue, 2012-05-22 11:28
#49
Global BC was super cagey last night and showed pics of the burning police van. if i hadn't read here that it was electrical i would've thought it was torched. 'cause they never mentioned a thing just let the pics stand and wrong assumptions hold.
Tue, 2012-05-22 11:47
#50
Global BC was super cagey last night and showed pics of the burning police van. if i hadn't read here that it was electrical i would've thought it was torched. 'cause they never mentioned a thing just let the pics stand and wrong assumptions hold.
Perhaps I should have put [i]electrical[/i] in quotes. The police said it was "electrical". I'm not sure how credible that is, although I haven't read any eyewitness accounts to contradict the official story.
Tue, 2012-05-22 11:55
#51
Electrical in the sense that a police officer flipped a switch to set of the incendiary charge? I think because of the timing it might have been a pocket dial. I'll bet someone is in big dodo for their premature incineration.
Just trying to have a little laugh since it beats the hell out of crying.