[Onthebarricades] CANADA: Anti-capitalist protest at free trade summit

[Andy]

Disturbing levels of persecution after the protests - people released on bail being banned from associating with each other or protesting is clearly a violation of basic rights.  Police apparently tasered one activist who was trying to help someone injured by police!  Another was tasered unconscious, and a third hospitalised by police rubber bullets.  

Notice how the mainstream media whitewashes the police repression and violence and the repressive court actions instead of denouncing these as the atrocities they are.  What's bizarre is that "allegations" such as people being hospitalised after being tasered unconscious or being tasered while applying first-aid to an injured person are verifiable claims - a quick bit of investigation would have instantly resolved the truth of the matter and shown the police claims of "restraint" to be utter lies.

See the bottom for an analysis of Black Bloc failings and police repression at Halifax and Rostock.


http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=71679a77-124c-4132-a47c-b6ca5308ee70&k=9223

Twenty arrested in violent Halifax protest
Two police officers injured as rocks pelted over free trade conference
CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, June 15, 2007
HALIFAX -- A protest outside a conference on a proposed free trade zone for eastern Canada and the northeastern United States turned violent Friday in Halifax. Twenty people were arrested and two police officers were injured when demonstrators started pelting officers with rocks and balloons filled with paint.

Passers-by had to duck for cover and some of Halifax's busiest streets were littered with broken glass before police, using tear gas, could quell the disturbance.

The violence started when a group of protesters calling themselves the "Black Bloc" broke away from the main march and confronted police.

"Well, I guess people have a right to protest, but it got a little out of hand," said Bud True, who operates a food stand that was hit by paint balloons.

The march had started peacefully as a protest against the Atlantica free-trade conference. Organizers said they didn't want the protest to turn violent - they just wanted to make a point.

"We think Atlantica is a horrible policy. We think it's going to roll back the minimum wage and attack labour and collective bargaining rights and it's not going to be good environmental stewardship and we want to out that," said David Bush of the Alliance Against Atlantica, one of the protest groups taking part.

But as the march weaved through streets cleared of traffic, tempers frayed.

Some of the protesters complained police used allegedly heavy-handed tactics. 

Police denied that and pointed out two officers were injured Friday.

"We respect everyone's right to protest peacefully," said Const. Teresa Brian of the Halifax Regional Police. "When a small group begins committing criminal acts, then we're forced to use action. We used a very measured reaction."

Police were on standby for more protests Friday night.

Business groups from around the region are attending the conference, which promotes the idea of a trade zone that would include eastern Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces and the New England states, and make the region the gateway for Asian trade. Critics say the plan will not fuel economic development for the region.

http://novascotiabusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?sid=37758&sc=107

Confused Atlantica protest turnout low    
Post a comment  
BY RICHARD DOOLEY, TRANSCONTINENTAL MEDIA 
The Nova Scotia Business Journal



Fewer than 100 protesters crowded a downtown street corner Thursday, demanding Nova Scotia Power stop increasing electricity rates, implement a fixed power rate for lower income people and stop backing Atlantica. The focus of the protesters shifted from the front doors of the World Trade and Convention Centre a block north to NSP parent company Emera's headquarters at Scotia Square.

Thursday morning, business delegates attending a conference discussing an economic cross-border zone referred to as Atlantica walked through about 100 protesters making noise with buckets and whistles to demonstrate against the proposition. Around noon, the demonstration shifted to Scotia Square, where protesters shredded fake power bills and urged the government to take control of the utility.

One protester held a sign saying high power rates force her to decide between paying bills or feeding her child. "That's a choice I have to make every month," Dianne said. She refused to give her last name. Dianne said she joined the protest during her lunch break because she's tired of not being able to afford electricity. But she knows little about the Atlantica connection with the protest. "I am learning more about it, though," she said.

Jill Ratcliffe of the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty said the protest wanted to focus on the power company because it's a proponent of Atlantica and the hardship power rate increases cause for low income Nova Scotians. "That's the catalyst for this sort of protest," she said. Ratcliffe said there could be more protests against the power company, including urging people to engage in a "power strike" where power bills aren't paid for a month. A small group of protesters met with Nova Scotia Power officials in the lobby of the office tower. The protesters presented them with a letter outlining their concerns.

NSP spokeswoman Margaret Murphy said the power company is "open to a conversation with them" about helping low income families cope with electricity bills. One of the points raised by the protesters is that low-income families are often shut out of energy efficiency programs because of the cost. Murphy said that is something the company is willing to look at when broadening the scope of similar programs. 

Protest organizers said they're not discouraged by the relatively low turnout. Some people predicted between 500 and 1,000 people will show up for the protests today and tomorrow. -- The Daily News

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070619200049428

Friday, June 22 2007 @ 06:03 PM PDT 
      Most Atlantica arrestees forbidden from associating with each other, protesting     
            Tuesday, June 19 2007 @ 08:00 PM PDT
            Contributed by: Anonymous
            Views: 216  
            Eighteen adults were released on bail Monday after spending a weekend in jail on charges stemming from an anti-Atlantica protest that damaged some downtown Halifax businesses. The defendants faced a total of about 65 charges, including unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Some were also charged with committing a crime while disguised with a face mask.

            Protesters released on bail

            Most of the 18 adults, one youth forbidden from associating with each other, protesting

            By LAURA FRASER
            The Chronicle Herald
            HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | Tuesday June 19, 2007

            Eighteen adults were released on bail Monday after spending a weekend in jail on charges stemming from an anti-Atlantica protest that damaged some downtown Halifax businesses.

            The defendants faced a total of about 65 charges, including unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Some were also charged with committing a crime while disguised with a face mask.

            In Halifax provincial court Monday, Judge Michael Sherar released all 18 on bail. Most of the defendants are not allowed to associate with each other or participate in public protests until they reappear in court in September.

            A 17-year-old from Sussex, N.B., was also arraigned Monday on similar charges in Halifax youth court. He will also return to court in September. He cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

            A line of police officers with dogs and a metal detector crowded the entrance to the provincial courthouse.

            Upstairs, more than 60 people packed the courtroom where the protesters were arraigned. Family members occupied most of the first row, while the protesters' comrades filled the bulk of the courtroom.

            For many of those charged, it is not the first time their activism has put them in the media spotlight.

            Aaron Doncaster, 31, is a well-known Halifax activist who made headlines only six months ago as one of the masked activists who rallied against "race realist" Jared Taylor's appearance in Halifax.

            Earlier this year, Fredericton native Emma Strople, 18, alleged that she was the victim of police brutality during a march in Montreal for International Women's Day. Her allegations were featured in a number of websites and student newspapers.

            Tension peaked when a defendant's father shouted at activists who were in the courtroom to support those who were charged.

            "My son just spent a weekend in jail," Jordan House's father said. "And if you make these people upset, he may be spending another weekend in jail. So I'd really appreciate it if, when the judge comes back in, there's none of this stuff."

            The outburst happened shortly after flyers circulated through the courtroom asking for donations to help with the defendants' legal costs.

            Most defendants agreed to provide cash bail.

            Crown attorney Christine Driscoll asked for a $500 bail deposit from most of the Canadian defendants, whereas at least one of the American defendants needed to provide $1,000.

            Supporters let out a small cheer as the first defendant, Marc Baille of Kingston, Ont., entered the courtroom. The crowd let out sporadic cheers as friends were led to the bench.

            The parents, however, were less enthusiastic.

            Muhammad Rashid left Fredericton at about 3:30 a.m. and spent the day at the courthouse waiting to see his son, Asaf. He said that his son usually expressed his views by writing in student publications and attending peaceful rallies, adding that Asaf, 31, had never before been arrested.

            "If he's done any damage to property, I don't think that I can support those kinds of things," said Mr. Rashid, a finance professor.

            In May 2006, Asaf Rashid was arrested outside Fredericton city hall.

            He and a group of about 20 people were handing out pamphlets to raise awareness about refugees when officers asked them to leave, CBC News reported at the time. He alleged he was the victim of racism after he was taken into custody by police, sparking an external investigation into the Fredericton police force.

            More than three-quarters of the protesters, like Mr. Baille, don't call Nova Scotia home.

            Mr. Baille, 20, is a University of Toronto student and the creator of the "Those who Think that Vandalism is as Beautiful as a Rock in a Cop's face" Facebook group.

            Stephanie Cameron is listed as an organizer of anti-poverty protests and sit-ins in Vancouver on a number of websites.

            Others charged appear to have little or no connection to Halifax, or even the Atlantic provinces.

            A handful of supporters remained outside the courthouse during the arraignment after refusing to provide the police with identification.

            While court staff, lawyers and media known to sheriff's deputies weren't stopped, other people couldn't enter the courthouse.

            Monday's security measures went beyond what Rocky Jones had seen before.

            "I'm 66 years old and I've been in and out of court since I was 20 and I've never seen anything like that," the Halifax lawyer said outside the courthouse.

            The young people sat in a circle on the grass outside, sharing food as they waited for friends to be released. At the end of the day, the loyal crowd threw up their arms and cheered each time a defendant appeared.

            ( lfraser at herald.ca)

            With Patricia Brooks Arenburg, staff reporter, and Josh Visser
           
      Protester angry at violent cohorts
      http://www.hfxnews.com/index.cfm?sid=38507&sc=89

      He has no regrets about spending the weekend in jail for a cause he believes in. But self-described anarchist Ian James Matheson had some harsh words for a few of his fellow protesters yesterday.

      The 23-year-old Haligonian castigated the tactics of a small number of anti-atlantica protesters - calling them cowards and idiots - who on Friday tossed rocks, paint-filled light bulbs, and smashed the window of a downtown bank.

      "Someone could have been hurt; other protesters could have been hurt," he said after he left court. "There were cowards at the back throwing towards the front. Other protesters were struck, I believe."

      The people in the bank, he said, were "responsible for none of this. Serious harm could have been done to many civilians who have no part in this."

      Police arrested at least 20 people Friday and used stun guns and pepper spray. Protest organizers said officers were heavy-handed, but police have said their response was measured.

      Of those charged, 19 were held in custody over the weekend. Most are not Nova Scotians, hailing from New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia or the United States.

      All were released yesterday on a number of conditions - including having no contact with each other and not participating in protests or public demonstrations. They left the courthouse one by one, to cheers from about 40 supporters outside.

      Matheson said he is opposed to the atlantica concept, which he worries is bad for the poor.

      He said no political parties were taking a stand against atlantica, and he feels opposition falls to those like him. The young man said that before Friday, he'd had little contact with the come-from-away protesters.

      Matheson said he was armed only with eye wash to treat pepper spray, and got arrested when he went to help a fellow protester. He said he was Tasered and thrown to the ground by police.

      Matheson said he is charged with unlawful assembly and spitting on a police officer - a charge he denies.

      A number of concerned parents were also in the courtroom. Muhammad Rashid had travelled from New Brunswick when he learned his son, Asaf Rashid, had been arrested.

      "I was very upset. I was very sad. Asaf is very peaceful," the father said in an interview, adding he is opposed to violence.

      rcuthbertson at hfxnews.ca 


http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070615214358567&query=atlantica

      Halifax officers injured during anti-capitalist protests     
            Friday, June 15 2007 @ 09:43 PM PDT
            Contributed by: Anonymous
            Views: 553  
             
            HALIFAX -- Two police officers and a protester were injured in a series of violent skirmishes Friday in downtown Halifax.

            Halifax officers injured during violent protests 
            Updated Fri. Jun. 15 2007 4:20 PM ET 
            Canadian Press 
            HALIFAX -- Two police officers and a protester were injured in a series of violent skirmishes Friday in downtown Halifax.

            Police confirm they used pepper spray as they arrested 20 anti-free trade protesters, some of whom pelted officers with paintballs and threw bottles.

            Police spokeswoman Theresa Brien says one of the injured officers was hit in the head with a rock. The other was overcome by some sort of "chemical agent.'' The injured protester was also made ill by the unknown chemical.

            The arrests followed a largely peaceful march to Halifax City Hall, where about 200 protesters denounced a conference on promoting enhanced trade between Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States.

            John David Price of the Anti-atlantica Alliance claims that one protester was Tasered by police until he was unconscious, and another was hit by rubber bullets.

            However, Brien says she was told Tasers and rubber bullets were not used, though police are still reviewing what happened. 

           
      http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070617160923817&query=atlantica 


In response to the person asking "how the combat went".... it looked like the people arrested had the shit kicked out of them, and no one could help them. I wasn't there but it looked pretty familiar to what happened at the end of the G-8 in berlin. There weren't enough people to engage in a black bloc and the police were able to line the bloc with their most violent cops. They then trapped the demonstration and paticularly violent officers started settling scores. I wasn't going to let some angry cop kick the shit out of some crusty kid half of the size of him who was holding a banner in front of me. Long story short I ended up holding a banner for this kid and earned the animosity of quite a few asshole cops, which then I decided it was a bit too hot and left for the middle of the demo. 

15 minutes later the crowd parts for a snatch squad that tackles my unsuspecting self and then kicked the crap out of me and threw me in solitary confinement for a day and a half and rejected my demands to call the legal #. I got let out a day and a half later from my concrete hole to some random east berlin neighborhood without my glasses (which they stomped for good measure) to make my way back to a hostel. So much for international solidarity. 

Shields might work against getting sprayed, but unless you outnumber the cops 2 to 1 you're not going to get anywhere even with full riot gear on, and worst case alot of people are going to get the shit kicked out of them.

Having 18 or 19 people arrested and (presumably) having the snot kicked out of them by kicks, punches and I guess electric prods out of a 50 person black bloc is pretty much a worst case scenario.

Moral of the story: Any action is the culmination of a shit ton of organizing to get people out on the streets. If the organizing hasn't been done then militancy at an action won't make up for it... instead it will land you ass in jail for as long as the cops want you there. Liberating actions might wind you up in jail... that's the nature of struggle, but by the looks of it, the few paint bombs and windows broken weren't worth the arrests and the organizing work around the demo should be reevaluated before the tactical decisions made at the time. 

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070621164721362&query=atlantica

      Atlantica Halifax: Diversity of Tactics     
            Thursday, June 21 2007 @ 04:47 PM PDT
            Contributed by: Anonymous
            Views: 226  
            We wish to contribute to the existing discussion regarding the militant action that took place in the June 15th demonstration against atlantica that is circulating within our community, as well as clarify and focus the discussion on some points which need to be expressed.



            We reinforce that we are not pacifists and never have made the claim to be peaceful. As long as we continue to feel the direct and devastating impacts of globalized capitalism and neo-liberal ideology on our lives, we will not sit passively in wait as the institutions of the State along with capitalist enterprises dictate the conditions under which we live. As our lives and lifestyles are attacked, we will fight back.

            The monopoly of violence was contested directly on June 15th. Whenever we enter in conflict with the police, courts and media, there is an inherent power imbalance centralized in the hands of those who defend this monopoly. In our efforts towards the shut down of atlantica, it is important to deconstruct the relationships between the police state and those defending themselves, their demonstrations and future. Our only defense it to attack the continually growing normalization and submission to violence perpetrated by the State and Capitalism in our lives.

            We are continually let down by the disempowering and generally ineffective methods of change offered by the State and furthermore recognize that the revolutionary changes we wish to see are unattainable through these avenues, as they require the State's abolition. We are more interested in exploring tactics that reach beyond the boundaries of the State's acceptable avenues of change simply because we think they are more effective.

            However a sincere acceptance of a diversity of tactics is something we feel is absolutely fundamental to create and sustain a successful and inclusive movement. For the demo on June 15th, a collective body of autonomous individuals, acting out of their own volition, came together and agreed to explore a diversity of tactics, recognizing and respecting each individual's autonomy.

            We hope that the anti-authoritarian movement can continue to grow with respect and solidarity at its roots and that these sorts of discussions can continue to happen in a positive manner within our community.

            We have never sought out normalcy, our desires reach beyond the existent.

            - A few "Wannabe Revolutionary Twirps." From the actions in Halifax.
           
             
           
     







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