(Not exactly Occupy related, hence here in Geopolitic)

Perhaps they are going for the most single day arrest record, feeling slighted in the competition by New York City. Montreal and Quebec Police along with other agencies flexed their muscle last night after full implementation of the draconian 'Bill 78' emergency legislation enacted in Quebec Province by arresting 700 student protesters and others on the 101st consecutive day of demonstrations.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120524-cana....

Quote:

AFP - Nearly 700 people were arrested overnight in rowdy demonstrations in Montreal and Quebec over a planned hike in student tuition fees with rocks being hurled at police, a spokesman said Thursday.

Police in Montreal had said the unsanctioned protest would be tolerated if there was no trouble but after some unruly behavior around midnight they moved in and arrested 518 demonstrators. Another 170 people were detained in Quebec.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/24/....

Quote:

While there had been clashes at other points in the dispute, violence marked every night of the long weekend and the first part of the week.

Wednesday’s demonstration looked as though it would break the pattern with an almost party-like atmosphere kicked off in many neighbourhoods by the supportive pot banging that continued in some cases as the demonstration passed by.

In recent days, the percussion-heavy approach has been happening every night at 8 p.m. in Montreal and each night it’s become bigger and louder and lasted longer. Wednesday night, there were thousands doing it and they spilled out from their houses into the streets in different pockets of the city in crowds that included children, their parents, students and elderly people.

Quote:

Canada student protests erupt into political crisis with mass arrests
More than 500 people were arrested in Montreal on Wednesday night as protestors defied controversial new law Bill 78

But what began as a protest against university fee increases has expanded to a wider movement to oppose Bill 78, which was rushed through by legislators in Quebec in response to the demonstrations. The bill imposes severe restrictions on protests, making it illegal for protesters to gather without having given police eight hours' notice and securing a permit.

On Wednesday night, police in Montreal used kettling techniques – officers surrounding groups of protesters and not allowing them in or out of the resulting circle – before conducting a mass arrest.

Police immediately declared Wednesday's protest illegal, but allowed it to continue for about four hours before surrounding protesters and making arrests.

Martine Desjardins, who represents more than 125,000 students in her role as president of the federation of university students in Quebec, said protesters had been "peaceful" on Wednesday's march.

"It makes a lot of people angry," she said. "We fear that tonight, because there will be more demonstrations going on, people will become a bit more violent, because as you saw yesterday, when you are peaceful, you get arrested."

Putin is impressive, somehow he also won elections in Canada to pass a similar anti-protest law there.

From the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms (part of their constitution):

"Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_Two....

As an interesting point, though, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms really does NOT articulate inalienable rights.

It has a so-called "notwithstanding clause", which allows any "right" articulated in the Charter to be overridden by an act of parliament or provincial law.

Thus, as far as I can see, Canadians only have "rights" that the gov't allows them to have. Of course, that's no different than what we have here in the US, but the Canadian gov't has the legal authority to take away their rights, while our gov't does so illegally.

Charters and rigths mean nothing when it comes to fiat currency debasement by cockroach bankers and their corrupt political stooges.

Anyone bother to pull up the text of 'Bill 78'?

It does this:

The bill is titled "An Act to enable students to receive instruction from the postsecondary institutions they attend," and prohibits freedom of assembly, protest, or picketing on or near university grounds, and anywhere in Quebec without prior police approval. The bill also places restrictions upon the right of education employees to strike.

The bill requires student associations, unions representing teachers, and CEGEP or university employees to "employ appropriate means to induce" their members to comply with its provisions, or face prosecution.[10][1]

Love this part:An Act to enable students to receive instruction from the postsecondary institutions they attend

It's Fascism. We are there.

This bill is totally unconstitutional. All that we need to stop it is a judge with BALLS who declare it unconstitutional and put an injunction against it until the supreme court deals with it (which takes at least 2 years).

Most people I know were ``against`` or didn't care about the protest... now after this bill, they support them.

And on the other side, you've got the hardcore ``pro-status quo`` people who want to kill a few protesters so the rest shut up. (no kidding I heard that personally from middle class 50-60 years olds)

Those idiots don't even realize that in a year or two when Europe/US/Canadian real estate crash finally happens, all their ``pensions`` are gonna be revealed for the fraud they are and they themselves are gonna be in the streets...

And next election, Charest will probably win, which will cause even more trouble...

(Titor said that something bad (perhaps civil war) would happen in Quebec... is this the beginning?)

"Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms really does NOT articulate inalienable rights."

Nearly ALL Parliamentarian Liberal Democracies do NOT. You would be shocked how often Canadians, Brits and Europeans do not understand this when I explain the difference between the USA and they.

Their rights are in the current codex and body of code. Change the code, change your rights. Simple.

Quebec just did this on May 18th.

Ben : yep. The US founders just declared rights as inalienable rights given by birth.

Most people in Canada/Australia/Europe think that rights are given by government... totally backwards.

I might just move to the US real soon... I'm sick of all the socialists idiots here, not to mention their nanny state-you-need-a-permit-for-evertything-to-protect-the-children.

Not to bash women, but most women are control freaks who want to ban everything and fascists use them as tools to achieve their goals.

Women need to learn the LIVE AND LET LIVE motto and stop wanting to be mothers to everyone.

The more I read this, the more ****ed up this is.

This is Quebec's "Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State", and I use those words with the utmost in care and consideration and intent. The fines are RUINOUS and can bankrupt a person or business quickly.

I am an Expat American in his 50's and I identify more with these students than those 60-somethings who want to shoot a few to make an example.

Read this:

Quote:

The Reichstag Fire Decree (German: Reichstagsbrandverordnung) is the common name of the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State (German: Verordnung des Reichspräsidenten zum Schutz von Volk und Staat) issued by German President Paul von Hindenburg in direct response to the Reichstag fire of 27 February 1933. The decree nullified many of the key civil liberties of German citizens.

Jesus Christ, that's what Bill 78 has done in Quebec.

Well, we are there.

It's begun.

Quote:

This is Quebec's "Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State", and I use those words with the utmost in care and consideration and intent. The fines are RUINOUS and can bankrupt a person or business quickly.

Yep. Gives unlimited power to the minister of education to do whatever he/she wants without approval of parliament.

Not to mention : 150k fine per offense... and of course you don't pay : you go to jail.

Basically : protest and go to jail and go bankrupt.

This is total BS. Not even in Greece they did that crap.


Next to come : election with probably the guy who gave unlimited power to the unelected minister of education winning... you think the students are gonna back down? You ain't see nothing.

This can only end badly.

"unsanctioned protest"?

Maybe the government doesn't quite understand what a protest is.

Quote:

Most people in Canada/Australia/Europe think that rights are given by government... totally backwards.

I might just move to the US real soon... I'm sick of all the socialists idiots here, not to mention their nanny state-you-need-a-permit-for-evertything-to-protect-the-children.

And when you do move to the US, at your arrival airport you will be greeted by a TSA employee with a glove which has your rectum as its destiny. But hey, at least you can distract yourself by thinking about all those wonderful rights.

You know, I used to be really opposed to the students but after this I changed my mind. Also, this also helped:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012....

The previous generation (which of course includes Charest and co) had voted themselves cheap education, gold plated pensions and other largess a few decades ago. They already got theirs and are now fighting hard to protect what they stole. I really can't blame the students for wanting theirs just the same.

Doesn't matter really - Costs have to come down, which is the beginning and the end of it.

They are protesting to prolong the already unsustainable.

Balanced the budget first, then fight over the allocation.

If the students had any brains they would say "ok, we will agree to a small increase in tuition, in exchange for massive cuts to pensions and other largess that you bums voted for yourselves 40 years ago"