I wrote a few days ago about a law being proposed here in Quebec. That law is now in effect. In the past three days, at least 491 people have been arrested at three separate demonstrations, the majority (around 300) late last night. The situation is escalating, and even repressive legislation does nothing to control it.
This is just one image of Montreal Saturday night. Police gave over fifteen orders to disperse, and moved in using their most preferred means - tear gas, sound grenades and pepper spray. Protesters heaped traffic cones and construction materials to block there way and then, in a burst of anger or frustration (I am not sure) set it ablaze. For hours groups of protesters remained in the area, having tense standoffs with the police.
This might seem like another example of the random acts of violence, perpetrated by dangerous radicals who like to hijack protests and throw rocks and police. If anything, though, it was just the opposite, from what I can tell. Keep in mind that the strike has been going on for over three months, that there have been nightly protests for over three weeks, and that many, many people have been "dispersed" just as forcefully for behaving peacefully.
I will hopefully provide a timeline or some sort of reference for the events that have gone on the entire year before (coming soon), but until then I will also say that in the course of this conflict two students have lost the use of an eye, a protester had their jaw shattered by a plastic bullet, and another briefly slipped into a coma after being struck in the head by the same kind of projectile, though he has since recovered.
Police actions this past weekend have also, thankfully, been scrutinized. On both Saturday and Sunday, demonstrators ended in the Latin Quarter amid bars and cafes. Many who were arrested (On Saturday, I have not heard all reports for Sunday yet) were simply tourists or people out enjoying themselves that night. Here is one striking example:
It is not the violence by police, or even protesters that is worth watching however. For three days, thousands (most reports said that Friday and Saturday had over 10000 people at their heights) have come out and marched in direct defiance of a law which can potentially fine each individual as much as $5000. Thousands have consistently ignore police orders to disperse, and all the "chemical irritants" and other means that the police use.
Something is changing in Quebec. Stay tuned for more updates!
If you want to follow what's going on, check out Concordia University TV (CUTV), which typically has live streams running of most of the protests (and you can watch through their old footage as well).