518 arrested in biggest crackdown on Montreal student protests
MONTREAL - It was a peaceful river of humanity for more than three hours, with about 3,000 people walking, chanting and feeling united on the 30th consecutive night of the student protests in Montreal.
Then, in a heartbeat, Wednesday night's big march turned ugly.
Just before midnight police surrounded a large group of protesters to make a mass arrest, Montreal police Const. Daniel Fortier said. Police said on Thursday morning the arrests totalled 518, making it the largest number of people arrested in a single night so far in the weeks-long student protest.
506 of those arrested were caught in the kettle, including 30 minors. The remaining 12 were isolated arrests, including four for criminal acts and eight for city bylaw infractions.
One person was arrested for wearing a mask, police said.
Rocks and a fiery object were thrown at police officers, said Fortier, who did not know if police were applying provisions of Bill 78, a new Quebec law that forbids unannounced protests.
Fortier said most of those arrested will face municipal bylaw infractions for being at an illegal assembly. A much smaller number will face more serious charges of assault and armed assault.
Showing proof of the attack against them, a Montreal police officer pulled three golf ball-sized rocks out of his pocket and showed it to a Radio-Canada TV news crew that was broadcasting live. The Radio Canada reporter held up an object found on the ground that he said was a crude incendiary device.
The cops had until then accompanied the larger of three evening protests without incident since it meandered all over downtown and the Plateau.
The protesters chanted, sang and banged pots and pans. And they cheered at people who waved red fabric from their balconies in support.
``Marchons, chaque soir, jusqu'a la victoire!'' (Let's march, each night, until we are victorious) the protesters shouted, and (translated, without the profanity): ``The special law, we couldn't care less.''
Nicolas Lahaie, 30 and Eric Bonneau, 26, both doctoral biochemistry students at the Universite de Montreal, said they were tired physically but mentally prepared for the long haul.
``We said we would march every night until this is settled and that is what is happening,'' Lahaie said. Marchers take turns although there is no major organizational effort to do so. ``We just show up when we can,'' Lahaie said, adding he had attended 15 marches of the 30 nightly ones.
He and his friends were handed $146 tickets for being at an illegal assembly May 16. ``We're all going to contest it.'' Lahaie said he was somewhat hopeful that student leaders will meet once again with Quebec Education Minister Michelle Courchesne. But he said the government should come to the talks ready to bargain, and not refuse to budge on tuition fees.
``We would accept the fees being indexed to the inflation rate,'' Lahaie said.
Bonneau said he told his girlfriend he would try not to get arrested. ``It means we don't wear masks. We don't break anything,'' Bonneau said.
In Quebec City, 170 people were arrested during a march that was declared illegal before it even began. The protesters did not give police an itinerary of the march eight hours in advance, as stipulated by law 78. Each person arrested will be ticketed for contravening the new law, the capital's police service said.
mharrold(at)montrealgazette.com
Montreal Gazette