Strike Enters Second Day at Concordia - Student Executives Beaten by Montreal Police !!!
This update comes from a student involved in this
demonstration; messages of solidairty and contact inof may be sent to: tom@tao.ca
Okay, I've just recently gottten out of jail, and
I'm too tired to provide y'all with proper sentences, so here's a point form recount of
the way it's going down here at Concordia. I hope to post a more coherent and well
written report a bit later that could be used for publication-this is more for info
purposes only...
Oct 26th to 28th- With a record turn out 2300 Concodia Students vote 91% in favour of
strike action to deal with government and administration.
Nov 3rd- A General Assembly to hold a strike vote. 700 students pack the largest
room on campus and vote 697 to 3 for a two day student strike Friday.
Nov 4th & 5th.- A joint demo of the CFS-Q (a bunch of ultra left troublemakers:) and
the MDE (more of the same:) brings out over 2000 students in the streets from about half a
dozen different schools.
- The Demo marches all over town, at one point the police tried to block a narrow side
route that the marchers were heading down. Fenced in by baton weilding riot cops,
students pushed through the riot cops and an exchange of blows left 4 riot cops injured
and a police car window smashed.
- Protestors kept on the move and ended up at Bouchard's office where after they
vigourously pounded on the windows they lit a large bonfire in the road and dispersed into
the underground shopping malls of complex Desgardins.
Nov 4th- First day of the strike at Concordia sees hundreds of students on the picket
lines. The newspapers ran front page photos of students beating on the riot cops at
the demo. The papers take the protest completely out context and complain about
student militancy.
- The administration building is completely shut down as students backup a large pick-up
truck into the main enterance and block other enterences with pickets.
- the largest picket is by the hall building where students hand out leaflets and invite
students to join the picket lines. Most classes seem to continue, but with thinned
numbers, and many have discussions about the strike instead. The administration has
granted academic amnesty so no-one will be penalized for particpating in the demo.
- at about 10am a student with one of the megaphones is approached by Montreal police from
the tactical unit which was waiting by the side of the road. They tell the student,
(that's me!) that he and the other protestors are not allowed to use megaphones as they
will be breaking a municipal bylaw.
- the students reply that it is univeristy property, that students have voted for the
strike, and that it is their right to express themselves.
- the head of univerisity security agrees with the students and explictily states that
they are allowed to protest and to use megaphones on univeristy property
- students continue to protest and then at about 11:30am a group of six police rush up
behind me (I was holding the megaphone) and grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the
ground without trying to talk with me o rtell me if I was under arrest or not. At
the same time, another six police ran into the Hall building to chase down another
protester with a megaphone
(CSU's 36 year old General Manager Rick Stom). They cornered him in the Hall
building, forced him to the ground by grabbing him by the throat and groin, and took his
megaphone as well as dragging him out of the building to a waiting cop car.
- again, they never issued a second warning, they entered univeristy property unsummoned,
and visciously attacked students who were protesting non-violently for the express reason
of taking away their means of communication...
- as the police dragged away me and essentially sat on me while repeatedly driving my face
into the ground and trying to rip the megaphone off ofthe cord that was wrapped around my
neck, the pickets surrounded the cop cars and stopped them from moving away. Within
minutes the riot cops arrived
and starting swinging their billy clubs. They seriously injured several students
including the CSU Vice President of Finances Sheryl Navidad and the CSU Vice President of
External Affairs Mistie Mullarkey. Sheryl is now on crutches after having her knee
fractured by a riot cops baton and Mistie's hand was also bruised and swollen from being
whacked...
- the student crowd grew dramatically in size to greatly out number the cops who
sensing the level of student outrage retreated as they were pushed off the streets near
campus.
- within half an hour of the arrests new student plaquards were made for the demo calling
for the release of the arresstees and decrying the police attack. Posters and
leaflets were also widely distributed...
- After being held for several hours in the police cells Rick and I were charged with
"obstructing a police officer" and also given a $136 fine for expressing our
democratic rights...
- the pickets continued throughout the day, and will be going on tommorrow as well.- the
Rector of Concordia met with student reps half an hour after the police attack and to his
credit is sending a strongly worded letter to the Montreal chief of police condemning the
police for their actions.
- students did some interviews with the media and will be launching a lawsuit against the
police officers involved in the attack.
More updates to follow,
Tom.
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