[Wamvan] Fwd: Quebec Students Request Our Support

Sat May 19 11:39:50 PDT 2012

Hi,

You are probably aware of the struggle of students in Quebec to prevent the
Charest government's crippling tuition fee hikes. Quebec students have
shown incredible bravery and tenacity in fighting for affordable education,
despite increasingly repressive tactics by the Charest government. Now, the
Charest government has passed Bill 78, a Draconian law that essentially
criminalizes the students' strike and their protests, with huge fines for
violations (see this video for
details:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBNnshW_jmY).
The students are defiant and plan to continue to fight for what they
believe in.

The government's response to the crisis has transformed the situation. It's
no longer about just the issue of education; it's now a question of
fundamental democratic rights. While the crisis is taking place in Quebec,
the Charest government's repressive measures have implications that
transcend provincial boundaries. If the Quebec government succeeds in
shutting down the Quebec students' strike and stifling their legitimate
right to protest, a dangerous precedent will be set that will affect all
Canadian citizens. Quebec students are now fighting not just for affordable
education; they're fighting for freedom of expression and freedom of
assembly, fundamental rights that are guaranteed under our Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, but which the Quebec government is basically
suspending through its new law.

See below for the Quebec students' appeal for help.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**PLEASE READ AND SPREAD FAR AND WIDE. BRING MOTIONS TO YOUR LOCAL UNION
COUNCILS, YOUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. I
AM IN TORONTO FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE A PRESENTATION AT
THEIR MEETINGS. PERSONALIZED VERSIONS OF THIS LETTER (WITH PERSONAL CONTACT
INFORMATION) CAN BE SENT TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL**

* *

*Request for solidarity and support for the Legal Committee of the CLASSE *

* *

Sisters, brothers,

            We write you during a dark time for democratic, human and
associative rights in Quebec with the following appeal for your help and
solidarity. As you have no doubt heard, the government recently enacted
legislation that amounts to the single biggest attack on the right to
organize and freedom of expression in North America since the McCarthy
period and the biggest attack on civil and democratic rights since the
enactment of the War Measures Act in 1970. Arguably, this recent law will
unduly criminalize more law-abiding citizens than even McCarthy's hearings
and the War Measures Act ever could.

            Among other draconian elements brought forward by this law, any
gathering of 50 or more people must submit their plans to the police eight
hours ahead of time and must agree to any changes to the gathering's
trajectory, starttime, etc. Any failure to comply with this stifling of
freedom of assembly and association will be met with a fine of up to $5,000
for every participant, $35,000 for someone representing a 'leadership'
position, or $125,000 if a union - labour or student - is deemed to be in
charge.  The participation of any university staff (either support staff or
professors) in any student demonstration (even one that follows the
police's trajectory and instructions) is equally punishable by these fines.
Promoting the violation of any of these prohibitions is considered,
legally, equivalent to having violated them and is equally punishable by
these crippling fines.

            One cannot view this law in isolation. In the past few months,
the Québec student movement - inspired by Occupy, the Indignados of Spain,
the students of Chile, and over 50 years of student struggle in Québec; and
presently at North America's forefront of fighting the government's
austerity agenda - has been confronted by precedent-shattering judicial and
police repression in an attempt to force the end of the strike and our
right to organize collectively. Our strike was voted and is re-voted every
week in local general assemblies across Québec. As of May 18th, 2012 our
committee has documented and is supporting *472 criminal accusations* as
well as *1047 ticket and penal offenses.* One week in April saw over *600
arrests in three days*. And those numbers only reflect those charged with
an offense, without mentioning the thousands pepper sprayed and tear
gassed, clubbed and beaten, detained and released. It does not mention
Francis Grenier, who lost use of most of an eye when a sound grenade was
illegally thrown by a police officer into his face in downtown Montreal. It
does not mention Maxence Valade who lost a full eye and Alexandre Allard
who clung to life in a coma on a hospital bed for days, both having
received a police rubber bullet to the head in Victoriaville. And the
thousands of others brutalized, terrorized, harassed and assaulted on our
streets.  Four students are currently being *charged under provisions of
the anti-terrorist laws* enacted following September 11th.

            In addition to these criminal and penal cases, of particular
concern for those of us involved in the labour movement is that anti-strike
forces have filed injunctions systematically from campus to campus to
prevent the enactment of strike mandates, duly and democratically voted in
general assemblies. Those who have defended their strike mandates and
enforced the strike are now facing Contempt of Court charges and their
accompanying potential $50,000 fines and potential prison time. One of our
spokespeople, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, will appear in Superior Court under
such a charge for having dared say, on May 13th of this year, that "I find
it legitimate" that students form picket lines to defend their strike.

            While we fight, on principle, against this judicialization of a
political conflict, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the struggle
on the streets has been, for many, transferred to the courtroom and we must
act to defend our classmates, our friends and our family.  This defense
needs your help. Many students have been denied access to Legal Aid to help
them to defend themselves. This, while students filing injunctions to end
strikes have been systematically granted Legal Aid. While sympathetic
lawyers in all fields of law have agreed to reduced rates and alot of free
support, the inherent nature of the legal system means we are spending
large sums of money on this defense by the day.

            It is in this context that we appeal to you to help us cover
the costs of this, our defense. Not only must we help those being unduly
criminalized and facing injunctions undermining their right to associate,
but we must act now and make sure that the criminalization and
judicialization of a political struggle does not work and set a precedent
that endangers the right to free speech and free assembly.

If you, your union, or your organization is able to give any amount of
financial help, it would make an undeniable difference in our struggle.  In
addition to the outpouring of support from labour across Quebec, we have
already begun to receive trans-Canadian and international solidarity
donations. We thank you for adding your organization's support to the list.

If you have any questions, please contact us via email legal AT
asse-solidarité.qc.ca <http://xn--asse-solidarit-okb.qc.ca>. Telephone
numbers can be given to you in a private message. You can also send you
donation directly to the order of "Association pour une solidarité
syndicale étudiante" (2065 rue Parthenais, Bureau 383, Montréal, QC, H2K
3T1) noting "CLASSE Legal Committee" in the memo line.

In solidarity,

Max Silverman

Law student at the Université du Québec à Montréal

Volunteer with the Legal Committee of the CLASSE

Andrée Bourbeau

Law student at the Université du Québec à Montréal

Delegate to the Legal Committee of the CLASSE

Emilie Charette

Law student at the Université du Québec à Montréal

Delegate to the Legal Committee of the CLASSE

Emilie Breton-Côté

Law student at the Université du Québec à Montréal

Volunteer with the Legal Committee of the CLASSE

 --

-- 
Miigwetch/Thank you/Merci
*Tami M. Starlight*
Unceded & occupied Coast Salish Territory
Vancouver, Canada
tamistarlight at gmail.com
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