Masked Avengers©Linda Dawn Hammond 2001
Independent Media Harassed by Police in Quebec City...
Report by Mary Ellen Davis
Québec City, Saturday April 21st - I'm "under arrest", for no other reason than having been filming arrests of demonstrators by riot squads, opposite le Grand Théâtre, just outside the fence (the Perimeter), after another police attempt to take over René-Lévesque Blvd only a few blocks away from le Centre des Congrès where Summit leaders were meeting.
I had been filming demonstrators in front of water cannons, among them Mohawks behind their flag of resistance and a naked man prouncing around showing his bum to the police. I was also filming Canadian photographer Larry Towell at work in the front lines. The police charged suddenly, all I could do is stand where I was and film whatever would happen, glued to the wall on Prevost St. east of Claire-Fontaine. What happened? Several arrests.
Then three policemen came towards me, one in a green uniform pointing his stick at me, two in black uniforms behind him. He said: "Leave or you're under arrest". I could not see his face behind the heavy helmet lid. But my video footage shows the number written on his helmet: 5833. He didn't let me leave, he blocked my way out and questioned me, poking his stick at my ribs, where two press passes were hanging. He pulled the scarf off my face, still poking at my CMAQ press pass (Centre des médias alternatifs du Québec). He was asking me "Who do you work for?"
I answered : "Je suis cineaste independante." He said I was under arrest : "T'es en etat d'arrestation, tu viens avec nous". I tried pointing my camera towards him again, he shoved it away. I pointed out to him that he was not giving me an option between leaving or being arrested, since he was blocking my way out. He then let go of me and pushed me away with his shield. I left, walking backwards, I didn't stop filming just in case: police ranks were closing in, I was alone. I hardly reached the street and tear gas landed beside me.
Most of this is on tape.
Were corporate media crews wearing gas masks bullied in this manner? What I do know is that unprotected photojournalists were aimed at by police with plastic bullets, and two were arrested. Is this the taste of democracy that our "democratically-elected leaders" are planning for us?
Mary Ellen Davis, independent filmmaker, Montreal
Mary Ellen Davis, who lives in Montreal, has directed "The Devil's Dream" and "Sacred Earth", award-winning documentaries shot in Guatemala, and "Mexico, Dead or Alive". The three films deal with issues of human rights, social justice, cultural resistance, like her soon to be released "Haunted Land", about atrocities in Guatemala and the struggle to keep memory alive. Davis also teaches film production at Concordia University.
Agence Stock/ KLIX Photographers
QUEBEC CITY: Photographer Louise Bilodeau was arrested Saturday, while documenting the actions of protesters and police at the Summit of the Americas. On the same day, another photographer, Caroline Hayeur was hit by a rubber bullet. Both are associated with Agence Stock/ KLIX.
Just before one was arrested and the other shot, Hayeur took Bilodeau's photograph. In it, the former wears a gas mask. She holds up her big yellow press passes. But apparently they weren't enough: she was imprisoned in Orsainville overnight. Bilodeau was released early this morning as a result of media attention from Le Soleil and L'actualitŽ, among others.
Photographer Caroline Hayeur was hit by a rubber bullet just after the first wave of rioting broke out on Saturday afternoon.
"I was photographing a rioter running out of the tear gas smoke. It was about 5:30. The light was beautiful, shining on my press tags. They shot right at my heart." She suspects that the shot was fired despite her media tags. Hayeur has filed a complaint with the Federation of Journalists against the police.
Several journalists felt that their role as media representatives did not protect them. The alternative media headquarters was gassed and had windows smashed by the police. According to Le Soleil, no less than four journalists were arrested this weekend altogether. One was from Mexico.
Independent Radio Journalist Arrested
Hey gang,
I'd like to thank everyone for your messages of concern and support. I have a slight fracture in my wrist and a big bump on my head, but am otherwise fine and in good spirits. I was lucky enough to be released without bail.
My story:
I was accompanying an elderly gentleman up the stairs by the media centre to warn police they were tear-gassing a baby when the officers, in full riot gear, grabbed me and started bashing my face against an iron grid and concrete wall. They beat me, choked me and stomped on me. Then they dragged me across Cote d'Abraham, hid me between two cars and beat me again. Officer Jean-Yves Gagnon #5018 yelled at me "Parlez francais icit, ostie! Go back your country! Go back your country! C'est mon pays, pas ton pays."
I was kept in prison for two nights with no water and no medical attention. They served us rotten milk for breakfast after starving us. I was intimidated and harassed whenever I tried to assert my rights. They pulled my hair to take photos of me, they hung up the phone when I tried to call my lawyer, they threatened to keep me in jail for six months or to release me alone in the middle of the night if I didn't cooperate.
I was simply working as an independent journalist reporting for a local radio station, Radio Bas-Ville in Quebec City, CKLN in Toronto and CMAQ's webcast Radio des Ameriques. I also DJ'd at the People's Summit, in the mobile sound system in Saturday's legal demonstration and at the open air rave at L'Ilot Flurie zone autonomne temporaire.
My thoughts:
We all owe a great debt to the brave women and men, throughout history, who have been willing to stand up to state repression to practice direct action and civil disobedience. Their sacrifice has yielded profoundly positive changes in our social and legal consciousness. We should recognize that those facing trial in Quebec are walking in the footsteps of giants and we should honor them with our full support.
Wednesday, at the Palais de Justice, Judge Yvon Mercier denied bail to Jaggi Singh, one of our most dedicated and articulate anti-globalization activists.
The Summit of the Americas showed me that "harmonization" with Latin America and the Carribean means spending millions of dollars on brute police force while gutting social services.
Dexter X email: dx@tao.ca
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Counter Set May 13, 2001