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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead
this protester stands on a wall in front of a Canadian Parliament building with riot police in the background around noon on Saturday
Saturday:
If you believe that there is no possibility for change then you guarantee that there will be no change -Noam Chomsky
a sign held by couple with preteen daughter held tightly between them
Three marches stared around the city all to converge on the Supreme Court Lawn. Each March ran into trouble with the Police. At the first intersection of my march we had to walk through a filter. Police in riot gear were standing in the street, spaced so that just one person at a time could pass between them. My tactic for not getting arrested was to be sure that I wasn't ever close enough an Officer that he could just grab me. So passing through this filter made me a little nervous. Many people I talked to and heard about later were much more upset about this. I had had a good experience in Washington, where I felt the police were there to protect everyone, even the marchers. Plus I really see the police as human, even if every human feature is hidden behind kevlar and gas masks. For many marchers this intimidation tactic sent them into tears. Can this rally happen in Canada?, where a peaceful protest joined by children and babies, and all sorts of non-violent people, needs to be intimidated. Of the three marches we were the least bothered.
I can not describe to you fully what it is like to be in a crowd like this. It is at once depressing and maddening that we have to be here, and exhilarating and hopeful that we are here to make a change. March leaves Lebreton Flats, Saturday Morning
Not long after I was walking in the crowd, when a group of 10 riot police broke in and tackled a couple of Bloc members. The rest of the Bloc rafted up and backed into the crowd which offered some protection. There was a stand off of about 10 minutes, with protesters shouting "Shame, Shame...", and "Solidarite!" I heard later that one of the speakers from that mornings rally was also arrested. And a man was bitten by a police dog. Some report that camera men were forced out of the way by police, some said it was protesters that moved the camera men.
Over 19,000 children die every day because of the policies of the IMF and World Bank -Jubilee 2000 report
sign in crowd
Again I didn't think too much of this incident. Many others were more upset. I had watched members of the Bloc smash windows the day before. While I was surprised that the police did not come after them right away, I was not surprised that they were targeted. I was a little surprised at the timing, but then I suppose it helped a news media, by giving them their favorite headline, "Protesters scuffle with Police, three arrested." From the mainstream media I have read, this backfired. Canadians are too upset from Quebec city, and not ready to accept any police abuses of power at all. Canadians are also more aware that they are on danger of loosing freedoms and are not as willing to accept that as Americans I have talked to.
this protester attempts to explain to the riot police that there are scared children on the porch with her, and he should take the dog away. a minute earlier the dog had separated her husband from her and their children. he was not allowed to pass through the police to be with them.
The dogs were the worst idea the police have ever had. The poor things were not able to handle such an active situation. The dogs have no way of knowing the difference between an angry peaceful protester, and a real threat. There were reports of dog bites all day. About the only thing I heard an officer was, "move, you don't want to get bit" They recognized the danger to peaceful protesters, but it was part of their intimidation plan, I suppose. Plus when the police all has gas masks and could have fired tear gas at any time, the dogs were still present with no protection.
[water] Not an $800 Million Industry
Pagan Sign
The rest of the march to the park was uneventful. I got a report from someone who had taken and actual head count. 1135 in our march. That's one long city block, full, three lanes and sidewalks. I would estimate the whole day between 3000 and 4000.
IMF and World Bank Policies = Colonization of the 21st C[entury ] Another protest sign
I spent a large portion of the rally at the Supreme Court in line for the porta-john. I didn't hear any speeches. I was sad to have missed Maude Barlow, from the council of Canadians, again. I had missed her at the teach in the night before. The students I talked to spoke of her a lot. She must have had something important to say. The rest of the rally I was trying to figure out what was going on in the afternoon. The official march was over, and it was time for groups to figure out actions on their own.
protester carries a sign that depicts the invasion of and native beach by Disney, using TVs and Coca-Cola cans as bombs.
It was on the march to the conference center that something sunk in. I was now making it a point to march closer to the pagans for safety, but found myself in the midst of the Bloc again. One of the Bloc started a chant that they picked up and then the Pagans. "Black supports the Pagans, Pagans Supports the Black!" How did this happen? The group, I most disagree with and the group that I feel the most affinity for are together. I have to confess that I do feel an affinity and respect for the Bloc that I don't feel for many other groups. I don't agree with destruction, but I do feel a very strong need for direct action. The whole weekend, the Pagans and the Bloc were the only groups I saw that did anything. A speaker the day before had joked that "so-so-so Solidarity!", was not just a chant that sounds better in French that in English. Now it was obvious to me. I had been marching all day among, the Pagans under a blue banner, the Bloc under black, the greens party, the communists under red, queers under pink. The important thing is that we have come all together here, for the same purpose, and while we are marching together for the same cause, we are one. You don't have to agree to have a common cause, and protect each other in working for it.
For most of the afternoon the protest was focused at the barricade in front of the conference center. Other than shear numbers standing in the cold for hours, there was very little effective protest. Many protesters wandered away and back. And spectators wandered in. I talked to a couple, who said they were somewhere between the people in there meeting and the people out here. In the sixties they had been protesters, now they were going home to watch football.
I went away to get food. It was strange heading into The Rideau Centre, a shopping mall. I had thins impression that everyone in Ottawa was protesting the meetings because I had seen noone but protesters all day. It was a shock, though I shouldn't have been surprised, to walk into the first shopping day of the Christmas season. I was caroled as I ate my french fries. When I returned to the line something was going down. I got the whole story later. A group an 200-300 protesters had decided to leave the line and go on a snake march through the city. They were blocked by police, who started arresting the group one by one, and filled a couple of paddy wagons. As the larger group learned what was going on, they came to the line, and were angry. I didn't know what had precipitated the action as I watched a group of 300-400 protesters, shouting, "OUR STREETS", surround, over run and engulf about 10 riot police. Then the angry crowd turned around and found a lone traffic cop, and advanced on her. I expected the tear gas to come out here, but the police showed amazing restraint.
this is my favorite sign of the day. It is time we were allowed to have some of our humor back. I miss the sarcasm of the old NYC. It reads, "Death to all Fanatix :-)"
I didn't stay long after all this started. If I had known at the time, that it was precipitated by the police blocking a snake march, and I could have risked being arrested, I would have stayed. What kind of free nations do we live in when protesters are blocked from marching in the streets? When they are blocked from taking their message where it might be heard? All day long we were allowed to protest in streets full of empty government buildings, and in a section of the city that was all but closed. As soon as we attempt to take our message to people directly, it is a problem.
One of the people that I was staying with came by an hour after I left. At that time she saw a 90 pound woman being thrown to the ground and kicked by five riot cops. She witnessed a reporter questioning a riot cop.
"If people in there want to get out can they?"
<shrug>
"if people in there are injured can they get out?"
<shrug>
"You don't care, do you?"
"no"
At this point the protesters were completely surrounded, and were not even allowed to exit in small groups. All day long there was always an out for someone who did not like what was going on. Now the protesters were being held as a group, and all treated as violent. I have less sympathy than some for this group that got boxed in. They all had the same chance to leave as I did. It was clear what would happen once you attack riot police. It is only a matter of time before the police attempt to take revenge. As sad as it is, it the rules of the game. At the same time, I only wish that I could have been there myself.