Updated May 5 with corrected text of personal account and photos from sabotagemedia:
Another day of clashes with the cops and attacks on the State and Capital (TD and BMO banks, some stores, Loto-Québec and cop cars) in the ongoing uprising in Montreal.
Thousands of anti-capitalists, many anarchists, but also feminists, communists, striking students and various groups for social justice joined in the street in Montreal. A considerable part of the crowd was masked and dressed in black.
Even before the demonstration began a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party was arrested. The demo left Champ-de-Mars around 5:15 pm, recalling the starting point of the first MayDay demonstration in the history of Montreal. The crowd applauded each time fireworks were shot, but overall remained relatively silent during the first 45 min. Apart from the SQ helicopter [Québec provincial police] which is now part of the landscape, a riot squad followed on the sidewalk to the right of the crowd as to provoke protesters. Tension was so palpable we could have cut it with a knife. At one point what seemed to be a flare was fired in their direction and earlier a group of people started nagging them with donuts hanging from makeshift fishing rods.
After about 45 min after the march turned north and headed for St. Catherine Street, the cops declared it illegal on a loudspeaker with people yelling back “we dont give a fuck”. A few moments later at the crossing of St. Catherine Street a line of riotpigs charged on the crowd, grabbing someone, but even while shooting rubber bullets and teargas they soon retreated before volleys of projectiles; stones bottles, fireworks, etc. It is clear that what Capitals’ militia wanted was to prevent at any cost the wave of black-clad to spill more deeply into downtown Montreal, specifically the part where corporate shops and banks are stacked in a big luminous display of the capitalist spectacle. In front of retreating cops the crowd still decided to continue north while another line of cops was coming from south. The protest turned eastward and the cops grasped the opportunity to run behind firing rubber bullets, tear gas and throwing stun grenades into the crowd which responded by throwing stones and smashing a few windows, like one of Loto-Quebec. After several minutes being chased, the crowd began to disperse and reformed shortly after in St. Louis Square to march towards the Émilie-Gamelin park where a student demonstration was called for the evening.
The cops deployed everywhere and began jumping on anyone. One hundred arrests took place including a mass arrest of 70 people just before 19h. Many people were able to converge at Émilie-Gamelin Park. Cops cars were splashed with red and pink paint and a clash with riotpigs arresting people took place before they dispersed and distanced themselves while the more pacified student crowd gathered for their 8th nightly demo.
Each day is a struggle and everywhere revolt is possible!
Solidarity with the insurgents of Oakland, Seattle, Greece, Chile, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia,
and with all groups and individuals in confrontation with power and domination.
The battle continues on all fronts!
Total liberation for all inside and outside the walls!
Note: We’ve received information that amongst several people injured a young man is in the hospital with multiple skull fractures after being brutally assaulted by police during the demonstrations
some pics
some vidz
from the press:
Police arrested more than 100 people in downtown Montreal on Tuesday night, in an ugly clash with protesters — many dressed in black and some with bandanas over their faces — marching under the banner of “anti-capitalism.”
A May Day rally began peacefully at around 5 p.m. ET, but it disintegrated into mayhem and violence within an hour, as at least 2,000 people marched through the streets.
Many wore the small red square that represents Quebec’s student movement against tuition fee hikes, although this rally was organized not by students but by a group known as CLAC — or the Anti-Capitalist Convergence of Montreal — a group known for its confrontations with police.
Just after 6 p.m. ET, Montreal police declared the march illegal, releasing sound grenades and chemical irritants into the crowd as some protesters hurled rocks and other objects, including molotov cocktails, at police cars.
Protesters dispersed briefly, but then regrouped.
A police car is spattered with paint during Tuesday night’s May Day riot in downtown Montreal.
Police said at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday that 34 people had been arrested for criminal acts, including mischief and assault, and another 75 detained for breaking municipal by-laws when they refused to disperse on police orders.
Police said those arrested will appear in court Wednesday.
