Quebec Militants Complain over Lack Of French at Toronto Protest

Some Quebec Francophones who demonstrated at the G8 Summit in Toronto are complaining  they were unjustly targeted by police and when arrested were harshly treated.  As well, some of those who were arrested, complained that they weren't 'treated' in French.

In an article by a student demonstrator in LE DEVOIR, Arnaud Montreuil complained that ordinary Quebeckers were unsympathetic to the plight of those Quebeckers arrested in Toronto;

"...the protesters from Quebec were particularly battered by the police. First, they were arrested in a targeted,  discriminatory manner, based on their home province. Then, in prison, many were insulted and told to leave the country if they were not happy, as we would say to a second class citizen.

And what is the reaction at home? According to an Angus Reid poll, 71% of Quebec respondents said the actions of police against demonstrators were justified .

It's likely that Toronto police overstepped their mandate and perhaps exceeded their authority by casting their net a bit too wide, but it's amusing to see anarchists complaining that the police weren't playing by the rules.

Now I know many of you will say that most of those arrested were not anarchists, just innocent protesters, availing themselves of their constitutional right to assemble and demonstrate, but it's hard to feel sympathy for them, given the fact that they knew exactly what they were getting into.

When I was kid, my mother didn't let me go to rock festivals because, as she said, "That's where the drugs are!"

Everybody knew exactly what was to happen in Toronto, there is a history of violence by protesters and  history of over-reaction by the forces of order, at these type of summits.

So I'll brook no crocodile tears or woeful lamentations from those who complain that they were shocked by events and the harsh treatment they received. I'm sure that most who went to demonstrate were well prepared to be arrested and perhaps found the experience more than they bargained for.

As for targeting Francophones, I've no doubt it's true. There were complaints that cars with Quebec license plates were arbitrarily pulled over for inspection and that those speaking French on the street were stopped.
It seems that police made it a policy to stop any 'suspicious' person and Quebecers stood out like a sore thumb.

The CBC posted a ridiculously biased article on its website with the inflammatory headline;

"G20 officer admitted targeting Quebecers: student"

The story told by a Montreal law student, who first claimed to be an innocent observer but then admitted that he was a demonstrator himself. He claimed officers admitted they were targeting Quebeckers by virtue of their license plates or by overhearing people speaking French on the street. One Francophone complained that she was unfairly arrested when she was found in possession of an anarchist manual!

In spite of the one-sided reporting, the public remains solidly behind the police which is frustrating the hell out of those demanding an inquiry.

My favourite story is told by Emilie Guimond-Bélanger, a member of Québec Solidaire, a separatist political party more radical than the Parti Quebecois. In a YouTube video she recounts a tearful tale of woe at the hands of the evil Ontario authorities. Flanked by the intrepid Amar Khadir, she claims to have gone to Toronto for the sole purpose of demonstrating in favour of abortion rights, but was scooped up by police and placed in detention.

Among her biggest complaint was the lack of French among the warders of the detention centre and she told the unlikeliest story about a co-prisoner, who according to Ms. Guimond-Bélanger, was borderline psychotic and spoke no English. She tried to tell jailers that she needed her medication, but to no avail, because nobody spoke French. Eventually she had a breakdown, started climbing the walls and was rushed to hospital, a sad state of affairs all due to the lack of French by the jailers.
Now I've heard bullshit stories in my life, but that one's a beauty. My advice to this lady is that in the future she wear a Medic-Alert bracelet with the word PSYCHO emblazoned upon it and travel with an English-speaking companion!
By the way, the sweet and innocent, Ms. Guimond-Bélanger is one of the few demonstrators that was actually charged with a crime. Hmmm..

I screened a bunch of videos and the level of arrogance demonstrated by Quebec demonstrators astounded me. In one particular video two Francophones approach a line of heavily armoured officers and carry on a mocking conversion at very close quarters. I'm sure the officer had no idea what they were saying and it must of made him quite nervous. If I was him, I'd bop one of these smart asses on the head just for sport.

At any rate, here is my favourite video of a dedicated G20 demonstrator.
Watch it. If you haven't seen it, I guarantee it'll bring a smile to your face!