|
WTO PROTESTS MET WITH POLICE PURSUITS, MASS ARRESTSThe Oldest Soul, Lunes, Julio 28, 2003 - 11:50
IMC Press Services
At around 8:50 am, police in riot gear declared the march an ``illegal assembly`` and rushed the crowds causing protestors to disperse into smaller groups which fled throughout the downtown core... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WTO PROTESTS MET WITH POLICE PURSUITS, MASS ARRESTS Montreal, July 28, 2003. Building on weeks of popular education and organizing, activists took to the streets today to protest the policies of the WTO during its Mini-Ministerial in Montreal which is taking place until July 30th. The activist moblization, linked to global movements resisting the basic injustices brought on by the transnational movement of capital also took a stand yesterday during the No One is Illegal Demonstration to defend the rights of free movement and refuge for populations from less priviledged countries. Closely watched by communities opposing corporate globalization, news of the protest is being simultaneously streamed in text, audio and video through a worldwide network of independent media centres such as quebec`s www.cmaq.net. SNAKE MARCHES At 7:30 am this morning, hundreds of marchers left in two groups from Norman-Bethune Square and Phillips Square converging at the security perimiter surrounding the Sheraton Hotel (where the WTO is meeting is being held) at the corner of Peel and Rene-Levesque. At around 8:50 am, police in riot gear declared the march an ``illegal assembly`` and rushed the crowds causing protestors to disperse into smaller groups which fled throughout the downtown core. ARREST OF JAGGI SINGH During today`s actions, Montreal activist Jaggi Singh was providing media with interviews and staying away from the Sheraton Hotel in accordance with his legal conditions. Nevertheless, though he was not involved with the marches, at 9:10 am on the corner of Peel and Ste. Catherine, about a dozen police converged on Jaggi and apprehended him for ``unlawful assembly``. Several witness were on hand and can attest to the fact that Singh was singled out. MASS ARRESTS AT THE ``GREEN ZONE`` Meanwhile, police pursued protestors throughout the downtown core; several were apprehended in small groups by roving police squads. Many others sought refuge at and around The Alternative Bookstore on St. Laurent just south of Sherbooke. This Bookstore was meant was to serve as a space for alternative radio broadcast and popular education during the protests as well as a predetermined GREEN ZONE (a place for peaceful assembly away from the marches). Though far away from the security perimeter and the marches, police came to encircle the Green Zone at 10:30 am and began arresting around 200 people for unlawful assembly loading them into two waiting buses. Among the arrested was one independent journalist. No injuries stemming from arrests have been reported. PROPERTY DAMAGE Several from among the demonstrators broke windows at downtown locations of The Gap, Buger King and an Army Recruitment Centre. These targets were not indiscriminate. The Gap is being targetted by activists internationally for its labour practices while the Recruitment Centre was targetted as a symbol of militarism- war, post Iraq, being linked more and more with the violence of the global economy addressed by activists.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ceci est un média alternatif de publication ouverte. Le collectif CMAQ, qui gère la validation des contributions sur le Indymedia-Québec, n'endosse aucunement les propos et ne juge pas de la véracité des informations. Ce sont les commentaires des Internautes, comme vous, qui servent à évaluer la qualité de l'information. Nous avons néanmoins une
Politique éditoriale
, qui essentiellement demande que les contributions portent sur une question d'émancipation et ne proviennent pas de médias commerciaux.
|