MASS ARRESTS AT MONTREAL WTO DEMO
Dozens of activists being held in inhumane conditions

Montreal, July 28, 2003.

Once again cracking-down on the popular movement of people throughout the world who are voicing their dissent and rejection of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Montreal police and state security forces have arrested more than 340 activists who are currently being held at three different police precincts throughout the city. The majority of these arrests took place near The Alternative Bookstore on St. Laurent just south of Sherbrooke after the morning Snake Marches had come to an end. The Alternative Bookstore was serving as a space for a pirate radio broadcast and a gathering zone with free food and various popular education events during the Montreal mobilisation against the WTO as well as a predetermined GREEN ZONE (a space created to provide a ``safe zone``).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MASS ARRESTS AT MONTREAL WTO DEMO
Dozens of activists being held in inhumane conditions

Montreal, July 28, 2003.

Once again cracking-down on the popular movement of people throughout the world who are voicing their dissent and rejection of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Montreal police and state security forces have arrested more than 340 activists who are currently being held at three different police precincts throughout the city. The majority of these arrests took place near The Alternative Bookstore on St. Laurent just south of Sherbrooke after the morning Snake Marches had come to an end. The Alternative Bookstore was serving as a space for a pirate radio broadcast and a gathering zone with free food and various popular education events during the Montreal mobilisation against the WTO as well as a predetermined GREEN ZONE (a space created to provide a ``safe zone``).

Though far away from the security perimeter and the marches, police came to encircle the Green Zone at 10:30 am and spent the next 4 hours arresting people who had congregated there. Those being detained have stated through their legal representation that they have been held on buses for hours without water or access to toilets. Their hands have been tied with plastic cuffs which many report are too tight, digging into their wrists. The Popular Mobilisation Against the WTO rejects these actions of police brutality against the participants of today's demonstrations.

SNAKE MARCHES

Today's actions began at 6:30 am this morning, as hundreds of demonstrators left in two groups from Norman-Bethune Square and Phillips Square converging at the security perimeter surrounding the Sheraton Hotel (where the WTO is meeting is being held) at the corner of Peel and Rene-Levesque. At around 8:30 am, police in riot gear declared the march an ``illegal assembly`` and rushed the crowds attempting to arrest all those present who up until that point had merely been demonstrating on the streets, chanting slogans and marching through the city.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

These police actions caused protesters to disperse throughout the downtown core and windows were broken at places like The Gap and an Army Recruitment Centre of the Canadian Military. Although these actions were not directly organised by the Popular Mobilisation Against the WTO, we do not condemn any form of resistance, which cohere with the principles of the Peoples Global Action Network. A main principal of the PGA network is promoting a maximum respect for human life. The Gap for example, has been the focus of an international campaign by activists who stand in opposition to its inhumane labour practices; labour practices which are upheld by the WTO and its agenda that places profit before people.

While Canada's role in the recent war and occupation of Iraq has been underplayed, the Canadian military was and is involved in the illegal war against Iraq and its people. The Recruitment Centre was therefore targeted as a symbol of the Canadian military and its complicity in this and other wars of aggression which waged by Western nation states who dominate much of the decision making process within the WTO.

THE ARREST OF JAGGI SINGH

During today's actions, Montreal activist Jaggi Singh who 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 Metcalfe and Ste. Catherine, about a dozen police converged on Jaggi and apprehended him for ``unlawful assembly``. Several witnesses were on hand and can attest to the fact that Singh was singled out.

A POPULAR MOBILIZATION AGAINST THE WTO

Today's action where built on weeks of popular education and organising. This mobilisation in Montreal against the WTO, is part of a global resistance movement to capitalist globalisation which makes links between the basic injustices inherent in the transnational movement of capital and goods while promoting polices which close national borders to the free movement of people throughout the world, a main theme of yesterdays No One is Illegal demonstration attend by over 1000 people. This mobilization against the WTO has been closely followed by communities throughout the world who stand opposed to capitalist globalisation; messages of solidarity with our actions on the streets have come in from all corners of the world.

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