Last night marked a turning point in the Quebec student conflict, as police arrested over 500 protesters. This is the largest number of arrests made since the start of the conflict, which dates back to February. The police have come under constant attack for being heavy handed in their approach, most often through their employment of tear gas; however, last night they used a different approach. It's called kettling.
Think of it as the police equivalent of a border collie rounding up sheep.
Essentially, kettling is a method used by the police to surround the protesters and then cut off any exit points, forcing protesters into a quarantined area. It is widely employed in Europe, so one could make the argument that the protesting students have finally gotten a taste of the European model they have been clamouring for.
However, that would be pedantic and patronizing. This is Canada; (regardless of what some of the protest signs and slogans may say) so let us resort to Canadian examples.
During the G20 summit in Toronto in 2010, the police used kettling to round up protesters on 10 different occasions. There were widespread allegations of police brutality and misconduct, and a recent report by the Ontario police watchdog as well as another report by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, has condemned the use of kettling by police. The most obvious reason being that it gratuitously forces innocent bystanders to be confined to an area, and prevents them from exiting should they choose to do so.
In fact, according to an interview with Ian McPhail, vice-chair and interim chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, kettling is against RCMP policy. Of course, the Montreal Police and the Quebec Provincial Police are not the RCMP, but it would only seem logical if they had a similar policy. After all, how can the police expect blameless civilians who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time from leaving the scene if they are shepherded into a makeshift corral?
There is, of course, the other side to this situation: considering what the police are faced with night after night, what else do we expect them to do? Kettling is a non-violent means to curtail protesters into an area, facilitating arrests without further disrupting a larger area of the city than necessary.
The protest last night was declared illegal, after projectiles and non-authorized routes were taken, and yet the protesters insisted on marching, true to their battle cries of not backing down. Is it then not fair to expect arrest once you are knowingly breaking the law? Is that not the underlying goal of some of these protests as they assertively and openly defy the law?
Now, considering the past behaviour of Montreal police and their penchant for racial profiling, (this does not seem to trouble the majority of white protesters, mind you) and police brutality, I am not going to defend them or their tactics.
Having said that, in taking into account the past practice of protesters, hurling Molotov cocktails, bricks, and other projectiles at the police, I cannot defend them or their strategy either. I can, however, condemn a practice that relegates guiltless onlookers to nothing more than the cattle they are treated as.
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Dave Kaufman: I'm Not a Quebec Protester, But Police Assaulted Me Anyway
No, cattle are a benefit ; they serve a purpose . The protestors - not so much
Cattle that refuse to be herded are just as loud.
--Yves Francoeur, President of the Montreal Police Brotherhood
DEMONSTRATION: SUNDAY, MARCH 15th, 2PM
Metro Mont-Royal
Organised by the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (COBP)
The Montreal police (SPVM) is in an uproar. With the current cases against them looking as loaded as their guns, these guardians of the civil tranquility have a bad case of frayed nerves. Their bargaining tactics as they negotiate the renewal of their collective labor agreement have allowed us a glimpse of their true nature: they now parade around town in military apparel, sending a very clear message to the people of Montreal. The police are keeping a finger on the trigger, and are willing to fight for their right to keep it there.
Winnipeg Copwatch - Working Together to Stop Police Misconduct
http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/march152008
“You must understand us, we are not for the establishment of a police State, we know we must work with the population and create links. But there are groups doing this. Our job, as police officers, is repression. We do not need a social worker as a director, we need a general. After all, the police is a paramilitary organization, let’s not forget it.” — The President of the Police Fraternity of Quebec, Yves Francoeur.
Last night's change in police tactics was a warning to the protesters. If they don't stand down, Bill-78 gives the authorities many different ways to declare the protests illegal. Which gives the police the power to use whatever tactics necessary to maintain order. Bill-78 is the only thing that intimidates the protesters.
3 & 1/2 months of continuous protesting has caused too much stress on the general population. The majority of the people of Montreal and Quebec want this to stop now. And they're ready for the police to do whatever it takes to stop it.
What's your definition of intimidation?
I know the student mantra is:
Everybody loves us.
Everybody backs us
Everybody wants to see us win.
That may be true in their own 'hood. But the mostly UQUAM protesters aren't even a majority among Quebec students. They don't represent the hardworking Quebec people and their families. Who are the real majority in this province. The real majority despises the damage the protesters are causing to Quebec with their huge overreaction to a tuition increase that works out to about 70 cents a day.
So again I ask, where do you get your information that a majority of Quebec want the protests to stop?
Sadly, I feel that both sides are now using the population as fodder for their ongoing war. Selfish, disrespectful and shameful on both sides.
In Nineteen eighty-four Orwell Writes, that through out history there have always been three classes of people and this will never change. Those at the top want so stay there, those in the middle want to replace those at the top and those at the bottom are used by both to get what they want. and if you look at the demographics of this conflict they seem to match pretty well. Cynical but maybe true.
The trouble is the Quebec police are so corrupt we can't even be sure they aren't using provocateurs. At a recent protest 8 out of 12 people arrested were released - because they turned out to be under-cover cops!
This is sad - this is depressing. This is the Quebec police.
Who's your dealer? I want some of what you're smoking.
Off course, this is a political game and the protesters appear to be way more savvy the Charest and his government. I do suspect that with the special law and with police anti-riot tactics becoming more aggressive the protesters are winning the media game. I do fully believe this is exactly what they are aiming for. And, I am sure the breaking point is close at hand and soon someone (or many someones) will get badly hurt (or worse) and it will be game over for the PLQ.
My cynicism knows no bounds and while the blame will be placed squarely on Charest's shoulders by the jury of public opinion, the truth of the matter will be that all players on all sides would have architected this war zone together.
During the G20 people walking home from work were rounded up. A woman returning from her wedding dress fitting ended up hand-cuffed in the back of a van when the "protesters" were arrested one by one in the pouring rain and ended up wetting herself after hours of unlawful detention.
That is unacceptable behaviour and an unacceptable way to treat people.
As for the tuition being 1/3 of Ontario - bully for Ontario students. If they'd protested in any sustained way 10 years ago it might never have happened.
I can tell you one thing for certain, I have not been downtown for over 100 days and have no desire to go until these nightly riots come to an end. I will not be an innocent bystander. I feel sorry for those who work and live downtown, they don't seem to have any way of avoiding being caught up in the whole thing. But it does make sense to me that when chaos ensues, the only tool the police have is to arrest everyone and sort it out later. At least it stops the immediate threat. Everyone can plead their case in front of a judge. I'm certain that a movie ticket stub or proof that you live or work in the area would be more than enough to convince a judge to let you off the hook. I suppose that you could then sue for wrongfull arrest, and probably get a settlement later on. But the police aren't and shouldn't think that far ahead. They are concerned with the preservation of law and order in front of a clear and presnt danger to themselves and other citizens.
And, are you saying that no one threw anything at all at the cops? And, that they never asked people to dissipate before, as you put it, "springing their traps"?