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.
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Many of the police officers were amazing! Some were douche bags.... As I was sitting by the kitchen I spent my time speaking with the officers near by ... making our interaction something personal ... I became a person to them not just some random protester ... those few minutes of conversation I think helped me tremendously!
ReplyDeleteI have a condition in both my hands.... my tendons are messed up .. possibly torn and stretched. I wear a brace on my left hand which is worse off than the right...
I told this to the officers that I was speaking with as well as why my hands were that way. I pleaded with them to be gentle with my hands when they would take me away.
I was chained (via hand cuffs) and there was a officer (who was higher up) who had been arrogant and a bit of a jerk came up to me, and another woman who stayed to sit with me, and told us enough is enough time to leave. He took my left arm above the elbow to lead me away and I said "I can not go" and showed him the handcuffs I used to lock myself to the kitchen tent structure !
He was a rough when he started to try and cut me free.... I calmly said please be careful of my hands and a few seconds later one of the officers I spoke with earlier came up and pushed aside what I imagined was his boss and took over saying I needed special care because of my hands and he "as gently as he could" cut the chain of my handcuffs and handed me over to one of his collegues to escort me to the patti wagon and bus to be processed!
I am eternally Grateful to that police officer....
Many of them were friendly as I was being friendly I was wishing officers a good day and when I was escorted off the bus to be dropped off away from the site several of the officers smiled and said good day back!
Thanks for your feedback. :) Nothing better then hearing the story from the person to whom it happened.
ReplyDeleteConsidering all I've read about the Police in other cities, even if we have a few douchebags in our police force [sadly there are douchebags everywhere], Montreal Occupiers were some of the best treated in the world being removed. No one needed a trip to the hospital after they were detained.