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| Une tite rangée de polices à cheval (pas des chevaux blancs, bien sûr!) avant le début de la manif. Il était sympa le mec, et je fût impressionnée de par sa volonté à dialoguer. |
| Last Friday the Liberal government passed a special law to try to put an end to the strike... Any organism, association, or person who organizes a public demonstration that counts at least 50 people is now required by the law to provide, at least 8 hours before the start, the exact rally point, the route, and the time length... And if the police don't like it, they can ask the demonstrators to change their plans. WTF? This is supposed to ''keep and regulate the right to demonstrate''. .. But wait a minute! Why should we obey these rules and voluntarily relinquish our power (numbers) to you, when what we are precisely trying to do is to emancipate ourselves from this abuse of your power? And what about you really informing us about where you're leading this country? This is clearly an attempt to try and control the power of public demonstrations... But the people aren't that stupid. In fact, this special law might have been the worst strategic move that the government could make. Because now, the general population is switching sides! They are getting in the streets, along with the students! We are denouncing fascist policies. We are celebrating the potential of a nation, united. (I always ask myself: and then what?) I thus finally went out to my first demonstration last Friday. Calling time: 20h30. Place: Parc Émilie-Gamelin. Number of demonstrators: more than fifty. A few photos taken in the few days since that event... |
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| Les chevaux n'ont par contre pas voulu commenté sur la nouvelle loi passée par le gouvernement Charest: Loi Spéciale 78 |
Friday, 19 MAI 2012
I was not impressed when I saw the row of police on horses overlooking the beginnings of the rally. However, I was impressed, after I got closer, to find this man actually engage in a dialogue with a young man. Soon, more people came by...
We are so thirsty for that communication... we wish we could get through to the humanness behind the armor.
French-Canadians have a long history of fighting for self-determination, freedom, and equality. French-Canadians have always been a majority here in Québec, but our values are shared by many...
In today's struggle, the divide is not language. It's money. Dirty money. Dirty politics. And we invite all those who feel called by our values to join us.
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La soif d'auto-détermination, de liberté, et d'égalité du peuple Québécois remonte à très, très loin... |
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| ''We have become the ferocious beasts of hope'' |
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| ''Angry but pacific. (Don't hit me)'' |
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Nous marchions pacifiquement... quand tout d'un coup les policiers ont cru bon de charger sur la foule avec des bombes lacrymogènes. J'étais à environ 40 mètres, alors pour la première fois, j'ai pu sentir cette odeur poivrés... voir les gens autours de moi qui toussaient (... et c'était pas des étudiants, mais des adultes de la population générale.) Apparemment, ils cherchaient à nous diviser. ... Ils n'ont pas réussit. |
Manifestation de casseroles
(pots and pans protests)
In 1971 Chile, the dictatorship (Alliende) passed a law that made any assembly of more than 4 people illegal. Chileans protested from right in front of their houses... with pots and pans. Since then, a number of ''cacerolazos'' have taken place in Argentina and in Spain. But the most recent and amazing results from this type of protest movement happened in Iceland (why didn't we hear of it in the media?), when the nation banged their pots and pans to the point of making the right-wing government resign, in 2009. Read more about the Kitcheware Revolution here.
Now... it's happening in Montreal city.
Sur l'Avenue de Lorimier, au coin Marie-Anne, tout le quartier sort de chez lui pour faire la révolution des casseroles: monsieur et madame tout le monde, les jeunes familles, les ados, les personnes âgés, les professionnels... un voisinage se rencontre enfin!!
Et on fait du bruit, pour dénoncer la loi Spéciale.
Et on fait du bruit, parce que c'est tellement l'fun faire de la musique ensemble.
Avenue de Lorimier, on Monday night. We heard a neighbor banging on his pots and pans... A gesture to denounce and protest against the Special Law. Soon, other neighbors joined in... and more... until the whole neighborhood was out of their apartments, on their balcony or on the sidewalks.
For many- including my roommates and I - this was the first time we were interacting with our neighbors.
And we banged those pots and pans... for almost 2 hours.
Cars honked. We jammed. We smiled..
We connected.
And today? Well after marching- and dancing and chanting - throughout downtown Montreal for three hours, we went home to have dinner. And at eight o'clock... it happened again !
Pots and Pans !!!
If this was in a movie.. we'd think it's too surreal to be true.
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