June 30, Occupy National Gathering
On the first day of the Occupy National Gathering, the excitement to meet one another was hampered by police confrontation. This led to indecision and internal arguments over contingency plans, but by the evening, Occupiers were safely assembled at jail solidarity or at the National Gathering Comedy Show. The afternoon began with workshops around issues like … Continue reading
Grand Prix Weekend Compilation Video!
The Formula One’s Grand Prix event took place in Montreal over the June 7-10 weekend. The city’s “manifencours” protests — initiated by students in November against tuition hikes and continuing now as an unlimited general strike — targeted the tourist attraction for its associations with elitism and sexism. From Thursday late afternoon through Sunday night, … Continue reading
June 10, Sunday, Metro profiling at the Grand Prix
The Grand Prix racing event kicked off Sunday morning. I entered the metro around 10:15am with Nicolas Quiazua, editor of McGill University’s Le Délit newspaper. Our bags were searched, and we were told that no media was allowed to go onto the metro that day — so we entered as civilians. When I asked allowed … Continue reading
June 9, Saturday, Anti-sexism march and nighttime mayhem
At 5pm, activists gathered at Phillips Square for the anti-sexism demonstration. The manifestation was controversial among Montreal protesters because it explicitly advocated the abolition of sex work — prompting the moderator of the anti-capitalist CLAC (labor union association) listserv to issue an apology for disseminating information for the event. The march stopped at various places to deliver … Continue reading
June 8, Friday, Bahrain solidarity and Grand Prix clashes
Around 6:30pm, the demonstrations began with a (noticeably) small protest at Dorchester Square aimed to show solidarity with the people of Bahrain. At 7:20pm, the petite march ignored a call by the police to clear the streets, but complied when the troops moved to enforce it. Still in good spirits, the protesters sang a French … Continue reading
June 7, Thursday, Demo and Nude-In
At 5pm, there was a demonstration at the corner of Notre Dame and des Seigneurs, which began with a megaphone announcement condemning the Grand Prix for its elitism and sexism. The protest was kettled as soon as it began, forcing a standstill. By 5:45pm, police began selectively arresting individuals and pulling them back behind the … Continue reading
ReCovered 