Occupy Montreal – Day 22

By: Paula Monroy

Saturday, November 5, 2011 – Place des Peuples

Today, the GA decided that “Because the increase of costs reduces the accessibility to post-secondary studies, and because education is a fundamental right for the individual, the movement Occupy Montreal supports students in their fight against the rising of tuition fees.”

To make it official, the occupation will join the students in the National Manifestation Against the Hike in Fees on Thursday, November 10 at 2pm, departing from Place Emilie-Gamelin (metro Berri-UQAM).

Demands of the Movement, the March of Indignation

Dan Parker from the facilitation team, proposes the following list:

We are indignant about the criminal and careless usage of our taxes and natural resources.

We are indignant towards the endless rise of tuition costs, education that should be all but inaccessible.

We are indignant about lobbies, corporations and other private interests that should never take precedence over the interests of the people.

We are indignant about income inequality based on age, gender and/or origin.

We are indignant about the profits of a few being more important than the quality of life of most.

We are indignant in front of the superficial democracy preventing our voices from being heard.

We are indignant about the pitiful place our society gives to those of different sexual identities and orientations.

We are indignant in front of the rampant disinformation and manipulation of the public opinion by the media through negligence, carelessness and allegiances.

We are indignant about our personal information being merchandised so we are more easily sold products we need.

We are indignant about the lack of access to existing technologies that should benefit us all rather than the monopoly of the petroleum industry.

We are indignant about the lack of access to existing treatments that would benefit us all rather than the monopoly of the pharmaceutical industry.

We are indignant towards the status of First Nations Peoples on these occupied lands.

We are indignant about useless weapons contracts profiting local and foreign private interests.

We are indignant about the barbarous ways of our mining industry on our environment as well as humans, both here and abroad.

We are indignant in front of the complete avoidance of our demands since the day listening to public opinion became politically incorrect.

We are indignant about brown envelopes* having more weight in our society than the future of our children.

We are indignant about our police forces being the last line of defense of our common enemies.

*(‘Brown envelope’) A term referring to the practice of politicians receiving illegal payments (in brown envelopes) in exchange for favours. 

The list is praised with some amendments. The sun shines east, bright, powerful. The proposal is accepted.

More, more proposals

Another proposal adopted today is that “any proposal submitted to the GA must be written and signed by at least 5 people supporting it.”

Operation McDonald’s was not accepted by the GA regardless of the long debate it required. The proposal aimed to express disagreement with the company, specially work conditions for employees, by going to one of their franchisees and talking with costumers about such issues.

Part of the reason being that “anyone who comes here in the kitchen can find products from companies which we should also fight against” It concluded, “people who want to do it can do it as individuals, but not in behalf of the occupation.”

Announcement

Valérie Prout, starting Monday, November 7th, 2:30 – 4 PM : “At the request of the ‘Organisation communautaire et action citoyenne’ class teacher, at UQAM (travail social), the AG/facilitation comitee organizes a discussion with the master students. All the persons interested by democratic participation (deliberation modes, decision taking, etc.) can come to this event which is set to share the views, experiences and questions of occupiers and students of the class.”

To read the course’s plan (french): http://cjoint.com/?AKeqNqnN3RP

AG/facilitation comitee’s Wiki: http://facilitationmtl.wikia.com/wiki/En

Occupy Montreal – Day 18

By: Paula Monroy

November 1, 2011 – Place des Peuples

During the evening, an argument between members of the Anarchist group and the Militia led to the stabbing of the hospital that stands North-West of the camp, right next to Rue Saint Antoine. The GA was delayed.

A friendly weather, which allowed the meeting to occur on the surface again, did not seem to be reason for the GA to continue. Because there were not enough people to have a quorum, the GA was changed to a discussion group. No more than 30 people stayed.

The Finances Committee was not happy with this, members had handed out their proposition regarding the security of  the money accumulated from donations.

Their proposition is broken down in three sections: Key holders, Donations and Auditors. The idea is simple, the money will be kept in a float box with only 4 keys available, and two people will be key holders and two more auditors. It reads, “We need two key holders [that]  will be responsible for the daily finances so at least one key holder must be on camp each evening[…]The keyholders are the only people who can remove money from the donations bin[…]All requests for reimbursements and payments are made at Donations[…]Once per week, one auditor, one keyholder, and one witness are responsible to count the total donations”. The committee explained that this is the best they came up with for now, participants thanked them.

Some announcements

Action Committee invited everyone to a march on the 7th at 2pm. “We will go to Hydro-Quebec“, calling for artists to call for the media “so we are broadcasted”.

Another demonstration will occur this Thursday at 5:30pm against imperialism.

Also on Thursday, the city is expected to remove water irrigators under the tents.

An over-expected visit

Offering free coffee and timbits, three fire fighters joined to the meeting. The reason being P-51, a law fire regulation. “Candles and combustion engines inside the tents are not allowed”. They recommended campers to buy propane heaters made for tents with no carbon dioxide emissions.

In reaction, participants asked them to join them on the 14th of November “because we need the fire department recommendation to get a permit from the city to get electricity”.

Regarding peace and the militia

Due to the incident from earlier in the evening, a member of the Juridical Committee suggested the creation of a peace declaration. “We have to react as a collective”, he added.

At the beginning of the meeting, someone suggested to exclude the right-wing from the occupation. Nonetheless, it ended with the following, “We are defining what the problems are, we need this before making decisions”, emphasizing, “We are defining who we are”.

So far, the militia have joined the Mediation Committee, responsible to intervene between disputes and bring about reconciliation. In addition, they want to join the movement as civilians.

Someone addressed the fact that the militia is well organized “when they say they are going to do something, they do it…I cannot understand why we are not doing it.”

The meeting ended with music and dancing. The GA dissolved before the end.

Occupy Montreal – Day 15

By: Paula Monroy

October 29, 2011 – Place des Peuples

The GA is moved back to the surface so the public can see it in action. Coughs and sneezes follow each other, a man wipes his nose with his scarf. The GA starts while the agonizing breath of autumn undressed the lining trees around.

Richard Lupien from the Action Committee proposes to read a text about peace, written by journalist Richard Hedges. “Everyone will lie down”, he adds.

The toilets continue being an issue (costs, particularly). According to the Finances Committee, “we are spending $150 dollars a day”. A short debate starts after someone proposes to charge 50 cents to use a facility. The argument ends in an invitation to use the toilets in the camp during the night, “You can go to other public washrooms nearby, maps are available inside of our facilities”, adding “Donations are welcome!”.

Environmentally friendly

The Environment Committee, renamed as the Environmental Group Committee, proposes that the organic waste produced in the occupation be used to create garden roofs. The team emphasized that “the camp is a clear example that change is possible.”

The proposal is adopted and cheered.

The Environmental group also proposed to have the camp officially recognized as a community, naming it People’s Village.

“What does it imply legally?” An participant asks. The Juridical Committee will refer to lawyers and get more information about the possibility.

For sale?

Jamie proposes to avoid selling things in the camp, arguing that money should be avoided. After debating on the reality of money, the proposal was changed and adopted. From now on things can be sold, but profits will be used for the camp.

Police

A last minute proposal concerning the march was adopted with one block from a university student, also member of the Action Committee. The Juridical Committee has been talking with the police, “I talked with a police officer…he asked us to change the direction of the march, just so we are in the same direction of the traffic.”

“We want to be pacifists, not passive”, commented the student opposing the decision.

Mark, from the Juridical Committee highlighted that “the police wants to collaborate with us so the march can be from the people to the people”.

The GA concludes.

More to see

Artists arrive dressed like Robin Hood and bankers giving eggs.

A man from Zacatecas, Mexico, stands with a poncho that reads “Viva Mexico, muerte al neoliberalismo financiero” (Long live Mexico, death to the financial neoliberalism). In his opinion, “It is sad to see that not a lot of people want to get involved in this kind of movements, youth specially”.

The march was directed to the US embassy downtown.

OCCUPY MONTREAL – DAY 6

By: Paula Monroy

A fluffy cloud darkened the sky at around 4pm. Heavy rain, hail and thunders moved forcefully in the city of Montreal. Drained, the cloud dispersed minutes later. It was not expected.

Campers were caught unprepared.

6pm – Not too many people has arrived to the general assembly. There are about 20 individuals gathered really close to the right corner of the monument, where speakers stand. The assembly facilitators are unable to attend, mainly due to the storm prior the meeting.

“We may have to call it off” is brought up. Nevertheless, after a chaotic hour of tedious team effort, the assembly starts up. Approaching 50 attendants, emphasis in the  fact that there is no elite in the committees is made. It is inspirited that “anyone can participate, it is a matter of initiative” and “power is collective!”.

Propositions were presented and talked through, but decisions were not made – “we are only discussing and debating tonight”.

Let us move on.

The juridical committee was concerned with alcohol intake in the campsite because peace within the Place du Peuple (name given to Square-Victoria) occupation  is being jeopardized. “Our message is getting diluted!” In answer, some participants proposed to create a committee responsible to “expel individuals democratically”, but it was unclear.

Today, this and other few propositions will be rephrased and brought back to the assembly for consensus. Among these are conversing about Canada’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan and take a position against it; defining the values, orientation and principles of the movement.

By 8:26pm the assembly was concluded. The space was cleared like when the afternoon hail stopped, sudden.