Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced this week that the city would drop all of the pending cases against protesters resulting from its use of the controversial bylaw P6, following a court ruling.
Nearly half of Quebec's student population went on strike to protest rising university tuition during the "Maple Spring" of 2012. The frequent, occasionally massive, rallies led the city to create the P6 bylaw, banning protesters from wearing masks and requiring organizers to file itineraries to the city ahead of the demonstrations. Thousands ended up being arrested during the protests.
On February 9, Judge Randall Richmond ruled in favour of three self-represented defendants arrested on March 22, 2013 who asked that their charges be dismissed by the court. By choosing not to appeal, the City of Montreal acknowledged that the ruling basically tore apart the prosecution for nearly all P6 cases.
A city official confirmed to VICE that, based on the Richmond decision, 245 additional cases were dropped on Thursday, and that 1,700 more cases will be dropped in due time. Last month, the city's prosecutors had already abandoned the prosecution against 83 defendants.
For the past few months, trade unions, student unions, community groups and environmental activists have been working towards province wide anti-austerity and anti-oil movements in the spring.
In the past few days alone, the Coalition opposée à la privatisation et à la tarification des services publics organized dozens of actions across the province, including street protests and occupations in Montreal.
Additionally, even the police union is in open conflict with the City of Montreal, regarding a pension reform imposed by the provincial Liberal government as one of its first austerity measures. Last June, several on duty police officers even participated in an illegal protest where a bonfire was lit in front of City Hall.
Nonetheless, it is likely that police will want to shut down the annual anti-police brutality protest coming up on March 15—which has often resulted in clashes between police and Black Bloc types.
more
Montreal Loses $1.2 Million in Fines as Controversial Anti-Protest Bylaw Quashed | VICE | Canada
Nearly half of Quebec's student population went on strike to protest rising university tuition during the "Maple Spring" of 2012. The frequent, occasionally massive, rallies led the city to create the P6 bylaw, banning protesters from wearing masks and requiring organizers to file itineraries to the city ahead of the demonstrations. Thousands ended up being arrested during the protests.
On February 9, Judge Randall Richmond ruled in favour of three self-represented defendants arrested on March 22, 2013 who asked that their charges be dismissed by the court. By choosing not to appeal, the City of Montreal acknowledged that the ruling basically tore apart the prosecution for nearly all P6 cases.
A city official confirmed to VICE that, based on the Richmond decision, 245 additional cases were dropped on Thursday, and that 1,700 more cases will be dropped in due time. Last month, the city's prosecutors had already abandoned the prosecution against 83 defendants.
For the past few months, trade unions, student unions, community groups and environmental activists have been working towards province wide anti-austerity and anti-oil movements in the spring.
In the past few days alone, the Coalition opposée à la privatisation et à la tarification des services publics organized dozens of actions across the province, including street protests and occupations in Montreal.
Additionally, even the police union is in open conflict with the City of Montreal, regarding a pension reform imposed by the provincial Liberal government as one of its first austerity measures. Last June, several on duty police officers even participated in an illegal protest where a bonfire was lit in front of City Hall.
Nonetheless, it is likely that police will want to shut down the annual anti-police brutality protest coming up on March 15—which has often resulted in clashes between police and Black Bloc types.
more
Montreal Loses $1.2 Million in Fines as Controversial Anti-Protest Bylaw Quashed | VICE | Canada