next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
The affinity group model has been used at other mass actions like Quebec City, so although we never really talked about it at our meetings, I think many of us expected a higher degree of organization in the crowd than there actually was. Most of the protestors were just average community members and not well trained activists. We should have planned for this, but we didn't. Because people were not organized, there was an unfortunate need for quick decision making. This was fundamentally undemocratic and pretty lame. Myself, Aaron and a handful of other organizers would yell, "what should be do ?" every now and again, and from there plan where to go and what to do. I ended up explaining these decisions and giving short speeches to the crowd via a mega-phone. The police and many in the media saw me as a 'leader' or something to that effect, which is obviously ridiculous and pretty damn silly. The protest began shrinking by late afternoon, as we marched through the downtown and up Citadel Hill. By this point we were trying to disperse, but once we arrived back on Spring Garden Road the cops had all but cornered us in. We were forced towards the waterfront by hordes of fully armored robo-cops. We knew things were going to get ugly and several of my friends urged me to get out of there because I was clearly being watched. By this point the police had already made several arrests. There were less than 100 exhausted and wet activists left by the time we reached the waterfront. I passed the mega-phone off and bolted away from the crowd. Comrades were being taken down left and right. I was standing beside a waterfront condo when I felt a hand on my back. “Mr. Arsenault, you're under arrest.” The hand belonged to a plain cloths cop. He wrestled me to the ground while I kept repeating the phrases “I don't consent to this" and "this is not resisting arrest". While on the ground, a group of other protestors, many of whom were poor street youth, tried to come to my aide. The arresting officer had not shown a badge, explained charges, or properly identified himself. His procedure was completely unprofessional, even by Halifax standards. A scuffle ensued above me, and I just kept repeating the two phrases. When I looked up, another cop was pointing his gun at me and the other activists were running away. There were 31 arrests that day. Five of us were charged; two settled (one with a conditional discharge and community service) and another with probation and a lifetime non-association with Aaron and myself. I am not sure as to the fate of the third person that was charged. After spending 5 hours sitting in the back of a paddy-wagon I was booked, finger printed and then questioned until six in the morning by this balding fat-ass whose corny interrogation tactics could have landed him a job as an extra on NYPD blue. We had no access to food or water. I awoke in the drunk tank, where they were holding us, to the racist slurs of a couple drunken rednecks. By that time most of the other arrestees had been released. Aaron and I were taken to the Burnside Detention Centre, and then went to court the next day (June 17th). I was charged with 'unlawful assembly' and 'breach of bail', due to probation conditions from a previous arrest. I was set free on the 17th, but I was not allowed to associate with Aaron and I was banned from leaving the province. The travel ban has since been modified so I can travel within Canada. But I still can't associate with Aaron. Now, as the trials draw every closer, there are important precedents to be set. The police aren't really alleging I did anything illegal. They are contending that the assembly was ' a tumultuous disturbance of the peace' and thus as someone who was in attendance, I am guilty. The trial is set for two days (December 17th and 18th) but it may well go longer. The precedent of targeting those seen as organizers has re-emerged with the explosion of social movements in the 21st century. The two most notable precedents come from the June 15th, 2000 OCAP trials, where John Clarke and other OCAP organizers were charged just for being at a militant demonstration. Similar charges were brought upon Jaggi Singh during the G20 trials in Montreal. In terms of what will happen in court, Howard Epstien, an amazing NDP MLA, will testify that the protest was pretty tame until the cops tear-gassed us. Other comrades will echo these statements. Aaron and I are both on video for seven hours, so they know everything we were doing during the protests. My lawyer, Roger Burril from NS legal aide, is fighting to not let the tapes into court. The tapes don't incriminate me, but the crown has systemically lied throughout the lead up to this trial. I want to make the bastards work for their paychecks. During the trial (and forever after) we are going to fight them at every turn. If people have specific questions about the case, the protests or anything else, please e-mail them to commiebastard@hotmail.com Unfortunately at this point in the struggle our movements are often more reactive than they are pro-active. These trials will be a lot of stress and an inevitable pain in the ass for everyone involved, but they also provide rays of hope and resistance. If we can prove, once again, that the police acted violently, then we win in the long term. If we can prove that closed door meetings of financial elites breed anger among average citizens, then we win. When we use their courthouse as a soapbox for our ideas, we win. If we go to jail, well then we loose because jail sucks and is boring. If we can make the links between the police harassment of activists, and the racist harassment of refugees, and immigrants then we win. When we win in the courts, our fight becomes a little easier in the streets. In solidarity Chris (A)rsenault -- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Stories of ecology and activism, including short, inspiring green films: http://www.greenspiration.org <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Join our email list by emailing us: greenspiration@web.ca Write "subscribe" in the subject line <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ____________________________________________________________________________ Did a friend forward this to you? Join sust-mar yourself! Just send 'subscribe sust-mar' to mailto:majordomo@chebucto.ca
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects