Montreal --- Friday November 19th, 2004 --- On the eve of the Quebec Liberal Party Convention, upwards of 100 people were encircled, arrested and ticketed while demonstrating to confront the neo-liberal economic agenda of the Charest government.

Organized by the Anti-Capitalist Convergence of Montreal (CLAC) to denounce the Charest government's ongoing attacks on all sectors of Quebec's society, the demonstration was met with unprovoked police and state repression.

See also:

• IMPORTANT: Legal Update on the mass arrest (organizing meeting for arrestees is on Dec. 2nd)

 
CLAC Condemns Mass Arrest of Demonstrators
on the Eve of the Liberal Party Convention

PRESS POINT: Saturday November 20th, 10am
Corner of Viger & Bleury, Parc Riopelle

Contact: Stefan Christoff, the Anti-Capitalist Convergence of Montreal
Cell: 514 885 8246 / Email: c...@taktic.org

Montreal --- Friday November 19th, 2004 --- On the eve of the Quebec Liberal Party Convention, upwards of 100 people were encircled, arrested and ticketed while demonstrating to confront the neo-liberal economic agenda of the Charest government.

Organized by the Anti-Capitalist Convergence of Montreal (CLAC) to denounce the Charest government's ongoing attacks on all sectors of Quebec's society, the demonstration was met with unprovoked police and state repression.

At approximately 7:30 pm, the Montreal police force, in full riot gear, surrounded the demonstration. Several protesters were singled-out, thrown to the ground and arrested by multiple riot police. Others were detained, handcuffed and forced to sit on the cold concrete ground over the course of several hours, while waiting to be processed for an unjustified arrest.

This silencing of political dissent in Quebec is not new. During the past five years, more than 1850 demonstrators, involved with various movements for social justice in Montreal, have been victims of mass arrest policies enforced by the Montreal police. The vast majority of those arrested, charged and dragged through the legal system, have won important legal battles against state repression winning their trials, the vast majority of charges being dropped or dismissed.

The CLAC demonstration took place as part of a broader fight-back against Charest, already initiated by labour unions and the community sector to disrupt the implementation of the Liberal Party agenda and work towards a general strike in Quebec.