COBP denounces the paramilitary police state and its political repression: March 15, 2014 Translated from: <https://www.cobp.resist.ca/documentation/15-mars-2014-le-cobp-d-nonce-l-tat-policier-paramilitaire-et-la-r-pression-politique> It is without surprise but rather an enormous amount of rage and indignation that the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (COBP/Mtl) denounces the mass arrest that ended the 18th annual demonstration against police brutality mere moments before it began. The montreal police (SPVM), with the help of the quebec police (SQ) encircled the demonstration before it even really begun. According to our initial information, about 250 people were arrested using article 2.1 of the municipal bylaw P-6 that prohibits all protests where the route is not given to the police ahead of time. (Must we remind them that the constitutionality of bylaw P-6 is currently being contested in court?) Many targeted arrests happened, many of which were carried out quite brutally. One demonstrator was sent to the hospital after his head was smashed by police nightsticks. The SPVM countered their reputation of intolerance by declaring the demonstration illegal 2 days before March 15th under the pretext that the route had not been submitted ahead of time. Undercover police working for the SPVM also visited many activists in the days prior, intimidating them and discouraging from participating in the 2014 March 15th demo. As demonstrated arrived at the gathering point of Jean-Talon metro they were greeted by a veritable army of police on foot, on horses, on bicycles, in cars and in helicopters. After a brief but energetic speech by the organizers, which was interrupted by a cop who shouted incomprehensibly, the crowd tried to go west on Jean-Talon road. A line of riot cops was deployed immediately, blocking their route. The people turned right around and took Châteaubriand road towards the south - the only direction that was not blocked by SPVM. On Châteaubriand, between Jean-Talon and Bélanger, the majority of people were arrested when the SPVM did not give them a chance to disperse, contradicting their own "instructions to demonstrators," published on March 12th on their website. Many other arrests were more or less targeted and took place several blocks away from the kettle. The SPVM's "Urban Brigade" pursued, provoked and brutally arrested several people for banal reasons such as "impeding sidewalk traffic" and "emitting an audible noise outdoors." The COBP denounces the fact that the SPVM has proven once again that it is incapable of tolerating demonstrations against its own brutality and police impunity. Many demonstrations that did not reveal their route to police were tolerated in 2013, without counting the innumerable "illegal" demonstrations in 2012. The repressive demonstration on the afternoon of March 15th demonstrates again that no matter what government is in power, liberal or otherwise, it's always the police who decide who has the right to demonstrate and when, just like in a veritable police state. The COBP invites all arrested persons to contest their tickets and charges, and to contact us in order to organize a collective defence and seeking of recourse. WE CONTINUE THE FIGHT TOGETHER!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Collectif Opposé à la Brutalité Policière/Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (514) 395-9691 cobp [at] riseup [dot] net (NEW ADDRESS) http://www.cobp.resist.ca Montréal, Québec, Canada
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