Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monitors in Syria
I'm not sure how useful the Arab League monitors have been in Syria, this is an article on the subject.
Also,Very important video of what happened at a Bab Dreib Checkpoint yesterday, where soldiers defected in the sight of the Monitors... (seen on the roof top, and at the checkpoint itself). This is the 'Hospital Checkpoint' one of the bloodiest in Homs.
The videographer says 'this is the first time we ever get this close to the checkpoint'.The people are chanting for the Monitors to ask the soldiers 'why did they shoot at us... why are our brothers in the army killing us?' Then the people hand out revolution flags to the soldiers and say 'why don't you defect... no one can harm you now?' Then one of the soldiers points to shabiha next to the blue sandbags, and say 'it is them, NOT the army (that is firing).'
The activist, even as two shabiha approach, says please tell the world 'This is a children's hospital' ...and Where are the 'armed gangs'? If you were facing armed gangs would you walk and stand like that?'
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
More Occupy Cats.
Apparently I had a wealth of cat photo's in or around kitty tents. So I was able to create many Occupy LOL cats :) Here are a few more to cheer me up today.
Merry - bah Humbug
It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when I know my friends in Syria are suffering. If they aren't being bombarded by the Syrian regime's tanks, or fired upon by snipers as they go about their daily activities, they are short on food and water, medications and infant formula, heating fuel and car fuel.
This is supposed to be a day of peace and good will towards all mankind. It's hard to see it like that when so many are suffering.
If I could only have 1 wish today, it would be for an all encompassing peace. That there would be no other wars. That all arms would be destroyed and that people worked in businesses that didn't have to do with war.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
The not so silent March of December 17th, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Jethro Occupies!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Massacre of unprecedented size
Syria's opposition urged the international community to create Bosnia-style "safe zones" in the country after government forces surrounded more than 100 civilians sheltering in a mountain valley and allegedly killed every single one of them. A group of 110 people, a mixture of activists organizing protests against the regime and local villagers, managed to escape, taking refuge in a nearby valley. But they were mercilessly hunted down by soldiers who surrounded them and then opened fire with artillery, tank shells and gunfire. For four hours, activists said, the group made frantic telephone calls appealing for help that never came. One villager who arrived at the scene of the massacre afterwards said those who has survived the initial onslaught had had their hands tied behind their back before being beheaded. More here.
Wounded Syrians recount tales of horrific ordeal
Please world see that the violence has escalated to an unprecedented level this week. When are we going to stop the Syrian regime from killing it's own people? How many more Syrians have to die before the World says ENOUGH to Bashar Al Assad and his thugs?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Do they leave their brains on Holiday too?
Do they leave their brains behind on holiday?
From Thomas Cook Holidays - listing some guests' complaints during the season.
1. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned
3. "On my holiday to Goa in India , I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."
5. A tourist at a top African game lodge over looking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".
6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she'd been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the "do not disturb" sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.
7. "The beach was too sandy."
8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
9. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.
10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
11. "We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
12.. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
13. "There was no egg slicer in the apartment..."
14. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish..."
15. "The roads were uneven.."
16. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."
17. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
18. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation’. We’re trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"
19. "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad'"
20. "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
21. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
22. "I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."
23. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."
They walk amongst us and they vote!!!
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
From Thomas Cook Holidays - listing some guests' complaints during the season.
1. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned
3. "On my holiday to Goa in India , I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."
5. A tourist at a top African game lodge over looking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".
6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she'd been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the "do not disturb" sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.
7. "The beach was too sandy."
8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
9. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.
10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
11. "We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
12.. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
13. "There was no egg slicer in the apartment..."
14. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish..."
15. "The roads were uneven.."
16. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."
17. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
18. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation’. We’re trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"
19. "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad'"
20. "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
21. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
22. "I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."
23. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."
They walk amongst us and they vote!!!
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
I feel old, unwanted and unattractive.
The way I'm feeling is making me feel miserable. Mostly because my feelings are so insignificant. I mean I'm upset probably because I just had a birthday. While I'm feeling sorry for myself, I know people who are homeless, who don't know when their next meal is going to materialize. I know the people in Syria might not have enough food, water, heating fuel, cooking fuel, required medicines or medical care, but here I am feeling miserable for myself.
I really don't have much to complain about and yet here I am feeling like someone destroyed my world. I'm having a hard time fighting the feelings and it makes me feel even worse. How can I feel sorry for myself when others are in such worse shape and they keep going. I sit here crying over spilled milk so to speak when others have no idea where their next meal is coming from.
I really don't have much to complain about and yet here I am feeling like someone destroyed my world. I'm having a hard time fighting the feelings and it makes me feel even worse. How can I feel sorry for myself when others are in such worse shape and they keep going. I sit here crying over spilled milk so to speak when others have no idea where their next meal is coming from.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time person of the year
Proud Mother of an outstanding leading seaman.
I have a lot to day but it may take me a while to blog it all.
For today I'll stick with the fact my eldest called me from her ship to tell me she passed her 'A ticket'. What it means is that she was an ordinary seaman [ grade you have right after boot camp] when she started this course a month ago, and now that she graduated, she skipped a grade and is now leading seaman. Of all the ones in her class, she is the only one who got the mention "outstanding" by the training staff.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Flash Mob at Fairview Mall - and being kicked out of Fairview Mall.
Between 15 to 20 Occupiers/99% turned out at Fairview Mall near the bus terminus to participate in a silent flash Mob in honour of the international day for human rights. We had people show up from other neighbourhoods either because they liked our idea or because their neighbourhood didn't have enough people for an action. Either way we had a nice group of people. The majority of us taped money over our mouths. Some had Guy Fawkes masks.
We had printed up a flyer to hand out to people to sensitize them to our cause and make them aware that buying from large corporations is not the way to go, but better off buying from small local vendors and encourage those from the 99% instead. Our flyer included a list of small merchants around the West island.
We arrived around 10:30 and started our action close to 11am. We walked from the entrance near the bus terminus and took the escalator to the 2nd floor where we proceeded to hand out flyers and walk quietly. We didn't make it very far before the first security person spotted us and called for backup. By the time we made it into the food court, we were asked to leave. So we went downstairs and slowly proceeded back to the door to go to the bus terminus as we were going to leave by bus.
Once we re-grouped outside the bus terminus Fairview security followed us outside and told us we had to leave. Something they had no right to do. We told them that the bus terminus was STM property but they argued that no in fact it was leased from their property so their property and we had to leave and go on the sidewalk, or we had to take off our yellow felt circles on our clothes. I can wear a yellow circle with a happy face, but I can't wear just a yellow circle?!?!?! I can wear a poppy but not a plain yellow felt circle? I can wear a pin with a Rolling Stones tongue logo on my coat, but I can't wear a yellow felt circle?
Really? Last I checked the charter of rights says I can freely assemble in public places peacefully. The mall security even called the police. Some stayed behind and talked to both the STM security and the SPVM and the Fairview Mall security had no right to tell us to leave the bus terminus. This was confirmed by both STM and SPVM.
As my husband, my friend and I left to our vehicle one mall security followed us and was insisting to take our camera to delete the footage taken inside the mall, that we were not allowed to take video or photo's inside the mall. He went on to say it was common knowledge. I have never seen a sign at Fairview that bans camera's. I'm not sure how this is common knowledge. As it goes our cameras are our private property and he has no rights to it.
I'm sure the main reason he wanted to erase our footage was to keep himself out of hot water. When someone has nothing to hide then there is no problems with photo's or video.
International Human Rights day March in Montreal
Photos from the March on Saturday for International Human Rights day. The 99% walked to the headquarters of the City of Montreal Police. The SPVM.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Friday, December 09, 2011
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Five Guys burger joint
Today we decided to go to Five Guys burger joint that's on Sources and de Salaberry in Place du Marche, in Dollard. I'm always game to go to a place where I can eat a french fry.
First off the place looks like a 50's burger joint. White tiles with some red decoration but it looks truly aseptic. I prefer burger joints that look more like food places. But that's neither here or there.
I ordered a french fry and you don't have options to order a small, their fry is bigger then a large at McD's. I got my fries a minute later, they were hot, but it seemed like they were just dipped in oil for a few minutes, just long enough to warm them up but not long enough to fry them. I found my fries to be uncooked.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Occupy West Island first event at Fairview Saturday - Then go to Place des Peuples
Event this Saturday in the West Island:
English follows.
***Point de rendez-vous: terminus d'autobus Pointe-Claire, dans le stationnement nord-est at 10:30***
Vous êtes invités à faire une marche silencieuse en chaîne humaine dans le Centre d'achat Fairview Pointe-Claire, en arborant le rond jaune du 99%. Nou s vous demandons aussi de vous cacher soit la bouche, les yeux ou les oreilles avec de l'argent ou des papiers représentant l'argent, ou un mot de revendication pour les droits humains. Habillez-vous normalement. Nous ferons le tour du centre, en silence, sauf si l'on nous interpelle. Les gens doivent venir à nous, non le contraire! Soyez nombreux! Départ de la marche à 11h! Si vous ne pouvez pas venir, SVP passez le mot!
***Meeting: Pointe-Claire bus terminal, in the north-east parking, at 10:30***
You are all invited to a silent march at Fairview Pointe-Claire Mall. We want to form a human chain with people covering their mouth, ears or eyes with money, or a paper representing money or any word showing a revendication for human rights. Please dress normally, but show on you the 99% yellow circle. The walk will be silent, but we will talk only to adress people who are talking directly to us. People must come to us! Start of the march at 11h! If you can't be there, please spread the word!
***Point de rendez-vous: terminus d'autobus Pointe-Claire, dans le stationnement nord-est at 10:30***
Vous êtes invités à faire une marche silencieuse en chaîne humaine dans le Centre d'achat Fairview Pointe-Claire, en arborant le rond jaune du 99%. Nou s vous demandons aussi de vous cacher soit la bouche, les yeux ou les oreilles avec de l'argent ou des papiers représentant l'argent, ou un mot de revendication pour les droits humains. Habillez-vous normalement. Nous ferons le tour du centre, en silence, sauf si l'on nous interpelle. Les gens doivent venir à nous, non le contraire! Soyez nombreux! Départ de la marche à 11h! Si vous ne pouvez pas venir, SVP passez le mot!
***Meeting: Pointe-Claire bus terminal, in the north-east parking, at 10:30***
You are all invited to a silent march at Fairview Pointe-Claire Mall. We want to form a human chain with people covering their mouth, ears or eyes with money, or a paper representing money or any word showing a revendication for human rights. Please dress normally, but show on you the 99% yellow circle. The walk will be silent, but we will talk only to adress people who are talking directly to us. People must come to us! Start of the march at 11h! If you can't be there, please spread the word!
Montreal's first mobile tent event.
On Saturday we Occupied Champs de Mars, right behind Montreal City Hall. We had our tents up for about 2 hours when a lone police car with a lone female police officer told us we had to put our tents down. I didn't actually put tent away put just took down poles. We Occupied Champs de Mars from 11 AM to 5PM. For what we lacked in numbers we made up in spirit!!!
I cant believe they waited till there was just 2 of us to send the police either. Anyhow we'll change strategies slightly but we will keep having mobile tent events. :)
I cant believe they waited till there was just 2 of us to send the police either. Anyhow we'll change strategies slightly but we will keep having mobile tent events. :)
Arab Spring and Occupy Montreal solidarity!
A video from November 25th, 2011 - Some Occupiers from Occupy Montreal join the Syrians for a solidarity vigil with the Syrian people.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
In memory of December 6th, 1989
December 6th in Montreal always brings mixed feelings. Most of us still remember the Polytechnique massacre. I wrote on December 6 1990 this poem in memory of those who died.... Everyone remembers where they were. I was home with my 2 babies, watching television, while sewing, and my first reaction seeing the late breaking news on TV was "Oh another crazy in the US" until I realized the 'crazy' was in Montreal. Since my hubby then worked for a firm comprised mostly of engineers, we realized we knew people who knew the victims. Including Barbara Daignault, the cousin of our good friend Thierry.
In Memoriam of December 6th, 1989
You are gone forever but not forgotten
The memory of your tragedy lives on
It is a pity that you were attacked and killed
For just fulfilling your potential
There is a malaise in society
That was created long before you came to be
It will not go away so easily
Perhaps your death will make the problem clearer
There were those who looked on in disbelief
Those who were confused and deeply hurt
How can someone decide the fate of others
Is there no justice for the living?
The work of a madman for sure
But there is a madperson in all of us
Some say that he was just a marginal exception
But how can we learn to trust others again
Perhaps this incident will make people think
Of all the injustices committed towards women
Perhaps the next time she cries injustice
Society will believe she her complaint.
The answer does lie within each one of us
To forgive him who focused his personal anger on women
To help others learn to love and help themselves
And make this world equal for both men and women.
In your memory: Genevieve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau,
Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Havierncik, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganiere, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay,Sonia Pelletier, Michele Richard, Annie St..Arneault, Annie Turcotte
In Memoriam of December 6th, 1989
You are gone forever but not forgotten
The memory of your tragedy lives on
It is a pity that you were attacked and killed
For just fulfilling your potential
There is a malaise in society
That was created long before you came to be
It will not go away so easily
Perhaps your death will make the problem clearer
There were those who looked on in disbelief
Those who were confused and deeply hurt
How can someone decide the fate of others
Is there no justice for the living?
The work of a madman for sure
But there is a madperson in all of us
Some say that he was just a marginal exception
But how can we learn to trust others again
Perhaps this incident will make people think
Of all the injustices committed towards women
Perhaps the next time she cries injustice
Society will believe she her complaint.
The answer does lie within each one of us
To forgive him who focused his personal anger on women
To help others learn to love and help themselves
And make this world equal for both men and women.
In your memory: Genevieve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau,
Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Havierncik, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganiere, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay,Sonia Pelletier, Michele Richard, Annie St..Arneault, Annie Turcotte
Monday, December 05, 2011
Occupy Rape Culture?
I thought that within the Occupy movement there would not be gender issues but apparently there have been problems in Montreal and in other places with sexual harassment or rape.
It's not particularly surprising considering that people in occupations are a microcosm of society at large, so the problems of society at large will be present in a smaller scale and we still have a lot of work to do.
Assad maybe crazier then Gaddafi!
It's not enough that the army that answers to Bashar al Assad is killing hundreds of innocent Syrian people for no good reason. It's not enough that they are aiming to kill children - one officer said of his killing of a 2 year old is he didn't want her to become a protester. Perhaps someone should have shot him at birth to prevent him from losing his humanity!!!!
It's not enough they kill the donkeys and the cows, and scorch the fields, and blow up gas tanks so people can't heat themselves and cook food, but on top of it do so WAR GAMES??????
What is Assad trying to show the world, don't come and invade my country I have a really big gun? My dick is bigger then your dick, I can piss further away then you can?
The Arab league is nothing but a bunch of buffoons. They are obviously waiting till there is no one left to kill in Syria to really impose sanctions. At this point it's a huge joke.
Syrian people are dying. There are places in Syrian like Homs that need EVERYTHING. They are facing a humanitarian disaster. They need food, heating oil, medication, baby formula, clothes, blankets etc.It is not the only place in Syria that needs help in every which way.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
A letter from Father Paolo to the Syrians
Before the video starts click on the CC button on the bottom right for the English subtitles to appear. Father Paulo gets the concept of democracy. Well worth the watch. God Bless father Paulo!
Did you know that cars take away women's virtue?
According to the Saudi's cars are a scourge of the earth!
If Saudi women started to drive, within 10 years there would be no virgins left?!?!?! What about married women driving? No that's not good either, they would end up either prostitutes, divorced or gay!!!!
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Occupy Montreal - West Island Meeting Monday - Come one come all!
Second Cup au 990 boul., St.-Jean, Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 5N9
lundi 5 décembre 2011 à 18h
Nous vous invitons tous à une discussion sur la direction à prendre avec le mouvement occupons Montréal.
Venez et essayer d'apporter une ou deux personnes avec vous on a besoin d'idées de toutes formes.
Avis à tout les curieux qui ne connaisse pas trop le mouvement, vene...z nous voir et il nous fera un grand plaisir de vous l'expliquer et de répondre à vos questions au meilleur de nos connaissances.
______________________________
We invite everyone to a discussion about the direction we should be taking with the movement occupy Montreal.
Come and try to bring one or two person with you we need ideas of all kind.
Notice to all the curious who do not know much about the movement, come meet us and we will be happy to explain it to you and answer to your questions to the best of our knowledge.
lundi 5 décembre 2011 à 18h
Nous vous invitons tous à une discussion sur la direction à prendre avec le mouvement occupons Montréal.
Venez et essayer d'apporter une ou deux personnes avec vous on a besoin d'idées de toutes formes.
Avis à tout les curieux qui ne connaisse pas trop le mouvement, vene...z nous voir et il nous fera un grand plaisir de vous l'expliquer et de répondre à vos questions au meilleur de nos connaissances.
______________________________
We invite everyone to a discussion about the direction we should be taking with the movement occupy Montreal.
Come and try to bring one or two person with you we need ideas of all kind.
Notice to all the curious who do not know much about the movement, come meet us and we will be happy to explain it to you and answer to your questions to the best of our knowledge.
Occupy LA Protesters brutally removed from site
Re-posting yasha levine's horrific account of detention in LA for Occupy: if you think this is municipal policing, you are hallucinating: Yasha Levine was forced to surrender his freedom, as well as his shoe laces…for his own protection
I finally got home Thursday afternoon after spending two nights in jail, and have had a hard time getting my bearings. On top of severe dehydration and sleep deprivation, I’ve got one hell of pounding migraine. So I’ll have to keep this brief for now. But I wanted to write down a few things that I witnessed and heard while locked up by LA’s finest…
First off, don’t believe the PR bullshit. There was nothing peaceful or professional about the LAPD’s attack on Occupy LA–not unless you think that people peacefully protesting against the power of the financial oligarchy deserve to be treated the way I saw Russian cops treating the protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg who were demonstrating against the oligarchy under Putin and Yeltsin, before we at The eXiled all got tossed out in 2008. Back then, everyone in the West protested and criticized the way the Russian cops brutally snuffed out dissent, myself included. Now I’m in America, at a demonstration, watching exactly the same brutal crackdown…
While people are now beginning to learn that the police attack on Occupy LA was much more violent than previously reported, few actually realize that much—if not most—of the abuse happened while the protesters were in police custody, completely outside the range of the press and news media. And the disgraceful truth is that a lot of the abuse was police sadism, pure and simple:
* I heard from two different sources that at least one busload of protesters (around 40 people) was forced to spend seven excruciating hours locked in tiny cages on a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. prison bus, denied food, water and access to bathroom facilities. Both men and women were forced to urinate in their seats. Meanwhile, the cops in charge of the bus took an extended Starbucks coffee break.
* The bus that I was shoved into didn’t move for at least an hour. The whole time we listened to the screams and crying from a young woman whom the cops locked into a tiny cage at the front of the bus. She was in agony, begging and pleading for one of the policemen to loosen her plastic handcuffs. A police officer sat a couple of feet away the entire time that she screamed–but wouldn’t lift a finger.
* Everyone on my bus felt her pain–literally felt it. That’s because the zip-tie handcuffs they use—like the ones you see on Iraq prisoners in Abu Ghraib—cut off your circulation and wedge deep through your skin, where they can do some serious nerve damage, if that’s the point. And it did seem to be the point. A couple of guys around me were writhing in agony in their hard plastic seats, hands handcuffed behind their back.
* The 100 protesters in my detainee group were kept handcuffed with their hands behind their backs for 7 hours, denied food and water and forced to sit/sleep on a concrete floor. Some were so tired they passed out face down on the cold and dirty concrete, hands tied behind their back. As a result of the tight cuffs, I wound up losing sensation in my left palm/thumb and still haven’t recovered it now, a day and a half after they finally took them off.
* One seriously injured protester, who had been shot with a shotgun beanbag round and had an oozing bloody welt the size of a grapefruit just above his elbow, was denied medical attention for five hours. Another young guy, who complained that he thought his arm had been broken, was not given medical attention for at least as long. Instead, he spent the entire pre-booking procedure handcuffed to a wall, completely spaced out and staring blankly into space like he was in shock.
* An Occupy LA demonstrator in his 50s who was in my cell block in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center told us all about when a police officer forced him to take a shit with his hands handcuffed behind his back, which made pulling down his pants and sitting down on the toilet extremely difficult and awkward. And he had to do this in sight of female police officers, all of which made him feel extremely ashamed, to say the least.
* There were two vegetarians and one vegan in my cell. When I left jail around 1:30 pm, they still had not been given food, despite the fact that they were constantly being promised that it would come.
* There were 292 people arrested at Occupy LA. About 75 of them have been released or have gotten out on bail, according the National Lawyers Guild. Most are still inside, slapped with $5,000 to $10,000 bail. According to a bail bondsman I know, this is unprecedented. Misdemeanors are almost always released on their own recognizance, which means that they don’t pay any bail at all. Or at most it’s a $100.
* That means the harsh, long detentions are meant to be are a purely punitive measure against Occupy LA protesters–an order that had to come from the very top.
Yasha Levine is an editor of The eXiled. You can reach him at levine [at] exiledonline.com.
I finally got home Thursday afternoon after spending two nights in jail, and have had a hard time getting my bearings. On top of severe dehydration and sleep deprivation, I’ve got one hell of pounding migraine. So I’ll have to keep this brief for now. But I wanted to write down a few things that I witnessed and heard while locked up by LA’s finest…
First off, don’t believe the PR bullshit. There was nothing peaceful or professional about the LAPD’s attack on Occupy LA–not unless you think that people peacefully protesting against the power of the financial oligarchy deserve to be treated the way I saw Russian cops treating the protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg who were demonstrating against the oligarchy under Putin and Yeltsin, before we at The eXiled all got tossed out in 2008. Back then, everyone in the West protested and criticized the way the Russian cops brutally snuffed out dissent, myself included. Now I’m in America, at a demonstration, watching exactly the same brutal crackdown…
While people are now beginning to learn that the police attack on Occupy LA was much more violent than previously reported, few actually realize that much—if not most—of the abuse happened while the protesters were in police custody, completely outside the range of the press and news media. And the disgraceful truth is that a lot of the abuse was police sadism, pure and simple:
* I heard from two different sources that at least one busload of protesters (around 40 people) was forced to spend seven excruciating hours locked in tiny cages on a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. prison bus, denied food, water and access to bathroom facilities. Both men and women were forced to urinate in their seats. Meanwhile, the cops in charge of the bus took an extended Starbucks coffee break.
* The bus that I was shoved into didn’t move for at least an hour. The whole time we listened to the screams and crying from a young woman whom the cops locked into a tiny cage at the front of the bus. She was in agony, begging and pleading for one of the policemen to loosen her plastic handcuffs. A police officer sat a couple of feet away the entire time that she screamed–but wouldn’t lift a finger.
* Everyone on my bus felt her pain–literally felt it. That’s because the zip-tie handcuffs they use—like the ones you see on Iraq prisoners in Abu Ghraib—cut off your circulation and wedge deep through your skin, where they can do some serious nerve damage, if that’s the point. And it did seem to be the point. A couple of guys around me were writhing in agony in their hard plastic seats, hands handcuffed behind their back.
* The 100 protesters in my detainee group were kept handcuffed with their hands behind their backs for 7 hours, denied food and water and forced to sit/sleep on a concrete floor. Some were so tired they passed out face down on the cold and dirty concrete, hands tied behind their back. As a result of the tight cuffs, I wound up losing sensation in my left palm/thumb and still haven’t recovered it now, a day and a half after they finally took them off.
* One seriously injured protester, who had been shot with a shotgun beanbag round and had an oozing bloody welt the size of a grapefruit just above his elbow, was denied medical attention for five hours. Another young guy, who complained that he thought his arm had been broken, was not given medical attention for at least as long. Instead, he spent the entire pre-booking procedure handcuffed to a wall, completely spaced out and staring blankly into space like he was in shock.
* An Occupy LA demonstrator in his 50s who was in my cell block in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center told us all about when a police officer forced him to take a shit with his hands handcuffed behind his back, which made pulling down his pants and sitting down on the toilet extremely difficult and awkward. And he had to do this in sight of female police officers, all of which made him feel extremely ashamed, to say the least.
* There were two vegetarians and one vegan in my cell. When I left jail around 1:30 pm, they still had not been given food, despite the fact that they were constantly being promised that it would come.
* There were 292 people arrested at Occupy LA. About 75 of them have been released or have gotten out on bail, according the National Lawyers Guild. Most are still inside, slapped with $5,000 to $10,000 bail. According to a bail bondsman I know, this is unprecedented. Misdemeanors are almost always released on their own recognizance, which means that they don’t pay any bail at all. Or at most it’s a $100.
* That means the harsh, long detentions are meant to be are a purely punitive measure against Occupy LA protesters–an order that had to come from the very top.
Yasha Levine is an editor of The eXiled. You can reach him at levine [at] exiledonline.com.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
CTV interviews one of the UV tagged Occupy Montreal protesters
I've been saying since it's happened that it's a violation of our human rights as a Canadian.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saleh steps down but doesn't get it!!!!
One of the last things Saleh did as he FINALLY stepped down in Yemen was to give amnesty to all the people who fought for him and his government. This is angering many Yemeni's who feel that since he signed off to leave he does not have the power to take this decision. In fact Tawakol Karmin wants an inquiry and she wants those responsible for the deaths of civilians brought to justice.
There's been historic elections in Egypt, here's hoping this newly elected government is closer to democracy then anything Egypt has ever seen.
Turkey has finally made good on it's threats to impose sanctions on Syria. Turkey has also said it won't deal with Assad's government anymore. It's waiting to deal with a new leader of Syria.
Closer to home, several Canadian firms have been hacked over this PotashCorp bid. Sadly it doesn't seem to be the work of Anonymous to destroy the sale all together, but from a competitor who's trying to get insider information.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Interview on CBC in regards to the police UV tagging
For those interested here is an interview on CBC radio here with two of the protesters that got UV tagged.
UAE releases 5 jailed Activists
This is great news for the activists in the United Arab Emirates. Five of the activists detained and jailed for more then 8 months have been pardoned and released today.
Occupons Montreal/Occupy Montreal - Photo's after the eviction
Sadly I could not be there on the Friday morning when Occupy Montreal got evicted, but I was there Saturday morning, in support. It was such a shock to see the square denuded.
I've been so busy sharing the police UV tagging story that I haven't even finished uploading my photos. They go up to the show. Will have to upload my photo's of the live entertainment later.
In regards to the UV tag, after 4 days she said it had faded a lot but could still be seen. Also from the research she's done, the only other case she heard about was people who got arrested at the G8/G20 in Toronto last year, also got UV tagged, but I guess it didn't make the news. You would think a journalist would find this a really interesting story.
I've been so busy sharing the police UV tagging story that I haven't even finished uploading my photos. They go up to the show. Will have to upload my photo's of the live entertainment later.
In regards to the UV tag, after 4 days she said it had faded a lot but could still be seen. Also from the research she's done, the only other case she heard about was people who got arrested at the G8/G20 in Toronto last year, also got UV tagged, but I guess it didn't make the news. You would think a journalist would find this a really interesting story.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Police UV tag those they detained from Occupy Montreal.
I'm posting Nina Haigh's post from Facebook for those who don't go on Facebook to see the photos and what she wrote:
****** IMPORTANT for all those who were arrested at occupy Montreal to read ********
When I was arrested at Occupy Montreal on the 25th of November 2011 They were taking my information. They wrote on my hand with a permanent marker and then after I felt something pointy and metallic scraping across my skin. I immediately asked "What are you doing" and they simply said we wrote on you with a pen and showed me a bunch of various pens in her hand.
I didn't argue about it and I was unable to look at my hands as they were tied behind my back with zipties. As soon as I was released I looked at my hands and there was no ink on them from a pen.
I began to worry and wonder what exactly did they do to me that prompted them to lie to me... it really was not a fun feeling. when I spoke about what happened a few hours later to a friend and my partner, the idea came about that perhaps it was something they used as a way to identify me.
This morning we tested my hands under a black light and sure enough there was a number 2! The freaky thing is this is IN my skin, washing my hands and scrubbing with abrasives will not get this off.... perhaps in several months of my skin cells renewing themselves if will eventually fade.
What ever ink that is in there is irritating my skin slightly and its a very terrible feeling that they put a substance in my body with out my consent and then later lied about it. This is a semi permanent alteration they did to me, if I go anywhere now with a black light this will show!
When I was arrested at Occupy Montreal on the 25th of November 2011 They were taking my information. They wrote on my hand with a permanent marker and then after I felt something pointy and metallic scraping across my skin. I immediately asked "What are you doing" and they simply said we wrote on you with a pen and showed me a bunch of various pens in her hand.
I didn't argue about it and I was unable to look at my hands as they were tied behind my back with zipties. As soon as I was released I looked at my hands and there was no ink on them from a pen.
I began to worry and wonder what exactly did they do to me that prompted them to lie to me... it really was not a fun feeling. when I spoke about what happened a few hours later to a friend and my partner, the idea came about that perhaps it was something they used as a way to identify me.
This morning we tested my hands under a black light and sure enough there was a number 2! The freaky thing is this is IN my skin, washing my hands and scrubbing with abrasives will not get this off.... perhaps in several months of my skin cells renewing themselves if will eventually fade.
What ever ink that is in there is irritating my skin slightly and its a very terrible feeling that they put a substance in my body with out my consent and then later lied about it. This is a semi permanent alteration they did to me, if I go anywhere now with a black light this will show!
 | |||
| Under normal lighting |
 | |
| Hands seen under black light. |
Important pour tous les arrêté-es d’Occupons Montréal ***
Lors que je me suis fait arrêter à Occupons Montréal le 25 novembre 2011, on a pris mes informations. Ils ont écrit sur ma main avec un marqueur permanent et puis j’ai senti quelque chose de pointu et de métallique qui grattait ma peau. J’ai demandé tout de suite : « Qu’est-ce que vous faites? » et ils m’ont dit simplement qu’ils ont écrit sur ma peau avec un stylo en me montrant une poignée de stylos.
Je n’ai pas argumenté et je ne pouvais voir mes mains, qui étaient attachées avec des Zipties derrière mon dos. Dès que j’ai été relâchée j’ai regardé et il n’y avait pas de marque d’encre de stylo sur mes mains.
Je me suis inquiétée et je me suis demandé qu’est-ce qu’ils avaient pu faire pour avoir besoin de me mentir… pas un sentiment agréable. Quand j’en ai parlé un peu plus tard à un ami et mon partenaire, l’idée nous est venu que peut-être c’était une marque d’identification.
Ce matin j’ai testé mes mains sous une lumière noire (black light) et il y avait écrit le numéro « 2 »! Ce qui est effrayant, c’est que c’est DANS ma peau, laver mes mains et frotter avec de l’abrasif ne le fait pas partir… peut-être que ça palira dans quelques mois, quand mes cellules se seront régénérées.
Peu importe l’encre qu’ils ont utilisée elle irrite ma peau et c’est une horrible sensation que de savoir qu’ils m’ont "injecté" une substance dans la peau sans mon consentement et qu’ils m’ont menti à ce propos. C’est une modification semi permanente qu’ils m’ont faite, si je vais quelque part où il y a un black light, ça se voit!
Lors que je me suis fait arrêter à Occupons Montréal le 25 novembre 2011, on a pris mes informations. Ils ont écrit sur ma main avec un marqueur permanent et puis j’ai senti quelque chose de pointu et de métallique qui grattait ma peau. J’ai demandé tout de suite : « Qu’est-ce que vous faites? » et ils m’ont dit simplement qu’ils ont écrit sur ma peau avec un stylo en me montrant une poignée de stylos.
Je n’ai pas argumenté et je ne pouvais voir mes mains, qui étaient attachées avec des Zipties derrière mon dos. Dès que j’ai été relâchée j’ai regardé et il n’y avait pas de marque d’encre de stylo sur mes mains.
Je me suis inquiétée et je me suis demandé qu’est-ce qu’ils avaient pu faire pour avoir besoin de me mentir… pas un sentiment agréable. Quand j’en ai parlé un peu plus tard à un ami et mon partenaire, l’idée nous est venu que peut-être c’était une marque d’identification.
Ce matin j’ai testé mes mains sous une lumière noire (black light) et il y avait écrit le numéro « 2 »! Ce qui est effrayant, c’est que c’est DANS ma peau, laver mes mains et frotter avec de l’abrasif ne le fait pas partir… peut-être que ça palira dans quelques mois, quand mes cellules se seront régénérées.
Peu importe l’encre qu’ils ont utilisée elle irrite ma peau et c’est une horrible sensation que de savoir qu’ils m’ont "injecté" une substance dans la peau sans mon consentement et qu’ils m’ont menti à ce propos. C’est une modification semi permanente qu’ils m’ont faite, si je vais quelque part où il y a un black light, ça se voit!
 |
| After 24 hours you can still see it. |
Arab league finally sees the light on Syria!
Finally the Arab league has put their foot down and the UN has come out with a report detailing human right violations.
Here's hoping that it makes a change for the people on the ground in Syria, because up until now no sanctions have had much effect on Bashar Al Assad and his cronies.
Well he certainly shouldn't be calling the kettle black, as he invited some Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese [Hezbollah] forces, along with the army and various levels of security in Syria to kill the Syrian people. Who invited foreigners into Syria? Bashar!
Here's hoping the Syrian people finally get rid of their dictator really soon. Wouldn't that be a wonderful Christmas present for them?
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Occupy Montreal/Occupons Montreal - and the police.
Yes the police in Montreal were nicer then anywhere else in the world when they removed the Occupiers in Montreal. However it did not mean that some of the 16 detainees were not brutalized. Apparently they used techniques such as ear pinching, and wrist twisting on some protesters. Some of the guys that were physically removed found the police brutalized them.
This is a far cry from the pepper spray and the beating with batons seen in other locations, where many people landed in Hospitals. However it is not any less traumatic for the people who were brutalized by the Montreal police.
Let us keep this in mind and all join in March 2012 for the protest against Police Brutality in Montreal!!!!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
How to skew everything and make it sound bad - Let's thank the media!
Headline "Condoms and needles found in tents at Occupy Montreal!". Sensationalism, everyone thinks there's drugged induced orgies!
Well how about diabetics? What are they supposed to do while they Occupy Montreal. Go home at meal time so that the needles they use to preserve their health isn't misconstrued as someone with a drug problem? I remember when travelling that the Canadian National Parks have needle disposals in their campground bathrooms. And not because they have a junkie problem on the campsites.
As for the condoms, anywhere people are going to sleep - like tents, is places they will have sex. I'd be more worried if NO condoms were found. Condoms mean safe sex. That's a big positive for everyone involved.
I don't discount that there have been drug addicts, homeless people, and people with mental health issues. I've run into some of them myself at the People's place. However as the population of the Occupation is a microcosm of society at large, you will see the problems of society at large. IT is not the occupation that has created the problems that lead to drug addicts, homelessness and mental health issues.
The media is making the 99% sound like they are all undesirables and nothing could be further from the truth. If people think that by removing occupation camps that we will go away they are in for a big surprise, this is far from being over.
Also I'd like to clarify what I said yesterday about "The Arrests"
Only one person was arrested and landed in jail. I had heard it was because he got physical with the cops. Not the physical I was expecting. This guy, dressed in a batman costume no less, came from behind and gave a police office a huge bear hug. His problem - was he probably took the cop by surprise so got arrested for getting 'physical'.
Let's recap. Montreal has the NICEST and BEST police officers in North America. My buddy Guy would say in the whole world.
The police who showed up to remove the protesters and take apart the camp were NORMAL police officers, they were not in riot gear. They had 2 buses full of officers in riot gear ready in case they were needed, but they were not so they were not used!
The only 'fishy' thing that happened, and which the protesters were NOT told is that they were tagged with some form of invisible tattoo, that shows up under a black light. When the friend who got arrested felt something metallic being dragged on her cuffed hands, she asked and she was told it was a pen to put a number. Sure she has a number on her right hand in ink, but on her left hand, there's a number that can only seen by black light. Something else - this number will take several months to go away because it is under the skin currently.
The other reason I'm saying the police in Montreal was nice is that they kept their word.
This tweet that was received Thursday evening was clearly intended to let the camp know that they would not wake them up at 4 or 5 am to tear the camp down. The best part is THEY KEPT THEIR WORD.
Please let people know that Montreal's police was exceptional in it's work with the people of Occupy Montreal. Thank-you!
Edit 27-11-11: Final tally of detainees 16, all released. Including the guy in the batman suit. He was also released unconditionally.
Edit 27-11-11: Final tally of detainees 16, all released. Including the guy in the batman suit. He was also released unconditionally.
Standing in Solidarity with the Syrian People - November 25th in Montreal
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| Montreal - November 25th, 2011 |
So-so-so- solidarité avec avec le peuple Syrien!
Occupons Montreal/Occupy Montreal - Arrests?
Yesterday there was one arrest because the person got physical with the police. The others were not arrested, they were detained for 40 minutes and released far away from the square and told to stay away 24 hours, otherwise they would be arrested charged and fined. Some policemen suggested that it wasn't their doing, that it was someone much much higher up the chain who wanted the protesters out. The fact that the tent city was removed from Square Victoria is certainly NOT the end of the movement. It is just the beginning :)
There's a HUGE occupy Montreal support day at People's Place today. Come one come all!
These are the activities for the day
Friday, November 25, 2011
Occupy Montreal - People arrested as police clear Square Victoria
From the little bit of information I've gotten, about 15 people were arrested so far today at Square Victoria. The people who were arrested were those who refused to move. For instance one of the people who started the Kitchen stood her ground in the Kitchen. She was arrested but since she has a clean record and was peaceful, she was released upon promise not to return to the square. She was not fined.
She said the majority of the police were very nice and didn't want to be doing what they were doing. There were a few douchebags but that overall they were nice.
That has been the story in Montreal that our Police is some of the nicest for a large city.
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