Photo: Olivier Pontbriand La Presse"Aujourd’hui a été le premier anniversaire du jour où j’ai perdu la vue de mon œil droit,
où j’ai commencé à avoir des maux de tête de façon régulière,
où j’ai commencé à avoir des douleurs lorsqu’il y a de la lumière,
où mes passions pour la création et l’art se sont énormément complexifiées,
où je me suis senti diminué physiquement par rapport aux autres,
où j’ai commencé à avoir peur des forces policières
et des bruits semblables à ceux produits par les outils de répression qu’elles utilisent.
Bien qu’étant un triste anniversaire, le 7 mars est aussi le jour où j’ai arrêté de croire et que j’ai su.
J’ai su qu’il faut toujours se battre pour avoir justice et que la violence, les menaces et la haine
ne pourront jamais mettre un frein à mon désir de justice"
Francis Grenier, 7 mars 2013
Judith Lachapelle
La Presse
Liberté d'expression bafouée, usage excessif de la force, impunité des policiers, profilage politique... Le lien de confiance qu'entretenait une partie de la population avec les autorités policières et judiciaires a été brisé au printemps 2012, selon un nouveau rapport d'analyse obtenu par La Presse.
Le document de 48 pages, intitulé Répression, discrimination et grève étudiante, a été rédigé par la Ligue des droits et libertés, l'Association des juristes progressistes et l'Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ). Il sera rendu public lundi au cours d'une conférence de presse à Montréal.
Les trois organisations ont recueilli et étudié 274 témoignages de personnes qui ont dit avoir fait l'objet, durant la contestation étudiante du printemps érable, d'intimidation ou de brutalité policière, d'arrestation, de détention ou d'accusation, ou qui ont subi une discrimination parce qu'elles portaient un carré rouge.
Les auteurs s'inquiètent. «Il est extrêmement dangereux pour la liberté d'expression et le droit de réunion pacifique que cette tendance lourde à la judiciarisation et à la criminalisation de la contestation sociale s'installe de manière durable au Québec.»
De fait, constatent-ils, «la répression a été si grande, les arrestations si nombreuses, l'attitude des [policiers] si méprisante et brutale qu'une partie de la population a carrément peur maintenant de sortir dans la rue pour manifester ses opinions et sa dissidence».
La situation est d'autant plus troublante, estime Lucie Lemonde, professeure de sciences juridiques à l'UQAM, qu'une bonne proportion de la population ne réalise pas l'ampleur et la portée des agissements des autorités. «Ce que j'ai trouvé le plus surprenant, c'est le fait que les gens ont trouvé normal ce qui s'est passé», dit celle qui a coordonné la rédaction du rapport. «On disait: "Oui, c'est correct d'arrêter les gens qui vont à l'île Sainte-Hélène parce qu'ils portent le carré rouge." Ça m'a choquée qu'on arrête massivement des gens et que ça ne dérange personne.»
L'analyse s'attarde sur la perte de confiance de la population envers les autorités. Plusieurs témoins ont exprimé «de la rancoeur envers la police en général et leur attitude anti-professionnelle qui fait honte à la profession». Les témoins rapportent plusieurs épisodes où les policiers les ont «ridiculisés», «méprisés», «insultés», «humiliés», quand ils n'ont pas carrément utilisé la violence physique à leur égard.
Divers abus de pouvoir ont été rapportés lors de la détention, comme la collecte de renseignements dont la divulgation n'est pas obligatoire et la prise de photo, même dans le cas d'une infraction en vertu d'un règlement municipal ou du Code de la sécurité routière. La prise de photo doit se limiter, selon la loi, aux cas d'infractions au Code criminel.
En fait, peu de personnes (moins de 1 sur 7) ont été accusées d'infractions criminelles. La plupart des personnes arrêtées l'ont été en vertu de dispositions réglementaires au caractère «vague», soulignent les auteurs, ce qui laisse aux policiers un grand pouvoir discrétionnaire.
Ainsi, plusieurs témoignages soulignent une confusion chez les policiers au moment des arrestations. Un témoin a raconté que, une fois au poste de police, «l'inspecteur se demandait encore quelle accusation il pouvait porter contre lui». Plusieurs ont ainsi reçu un constat d'infraction pour avoir «traversé la rue à un feu rouge», «flâné», «craché», «émis un bruit audible», ou ne pas avoir marché sur le trottoir.
Contrôler les manifestants
Pourquoi cette pluie de constats d'infractions? Pour les auteurs, cela suggère «que le but premier était de contrôler l'identité et les déplacements des gens et les empêcher de rejoindre une manifestation».
Pour certaines personnes, ça a marché: plusieurs témoins disent avoir peur, aujourd'hui, de participer à une manifestation. «Oui, ça laisse des séquelles, dit Lucie Lemonde. Mais ça en a aussi radicalisé certains.»
Le rapport se termine par sept recommandations, dont la tenue d'une enquête publique sur le travail des policiers et sur une atteinte à la liberté d'expression. Il recommande aussi l'abandon des accusations portées en vertu des règlements municipaux et du Code de la sécurité routière (mais non de celles en vertu du Code criminel). Il demande enfin la mise en place d'un «mécanisme à caractère civil, transparent, impartial et indépendant» pour enquêter sur les abus policiers.
Lien: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/dossiers/conflit-etudiant/201304/28/01-4645472-la-mefiance-envers-la-police-et-la-justice-aurait-augmente.php
Le rapport lui-même à télécharger: http://liguedesdroits.ca/wp-content/fichiers/rapport-2013-repression-discrimination-et-greve-etudiante.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Today's the first anniversary of the day that I lost the use of my right eye,
when I started having headaches on a regular basis,
when my passions for creating and art became enormously complex,
When I started feeling diminished physically compared to others,
when I started being afraid of the police
and of noises similar to those their arms of repression make when they use them.
Even though it is a sad anniversary, March 7 is also the day when I stopped beleiving and when I found out.
I found out that one always has to fight to get justice and that violence, threats and hate will never be able to stop my desire for justice."
Signed: Francis Grenier, March 7 2013
Mistrust towards police and justice would be on the rise
Flouted freedom of expression, excessive use of force, police impunity, political profiling... The trust still remaining in part of the population towards police and judicial authority was broken in the spring of 2012 says this recent analyst report obtained by La Presse.
The 48 page document, titled "Répression, discrimination et grève étudiante", was co-written by the NPO called the Ligue des droits et libertés (Rights and Freedom League) Link: http://liguedesdroits.ca/, the Association of the progressive jurists and the student association called Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ). It will be made public Monday during a press conference in Montreal.
The 3 groups collated and studied 274 witnesses' interviews that claimed having been intimidated or brutalized by police during the student protests of the "Maple Spring" (printemps érable); they also claimed they were arrested, detained or accused, victims of discrimination for wearing a red square. (piece of red cloth pinned on self)
The authors are preoccupied. "It is extremely dangerous for freedom of speech and the right to gather in groups in peace to see this downward trend towards judicialization and the criminalization of social contesting being implanted solidly in Quebec."
In fact, they note, "the repression was so great, the arrests so numerous, the police attitude so contemptuous and brutal that a part of the population is really scared now to go out in the streets to express their opinions and their dissidence."
It is even more troubling, says Lucie Lemonde, professor of legal sciences at UQAM (University of Quebec in Montreal), that a good part of the population does not realize the extent and the reach of the actions of the authorities. "What I found most surprising is the fact that the people find that what happened is normal.", says the person who coordinated the writing of the report. "It's like it's okay to arrest people that go to Sainte-Hélène Island because they are wearing a red square." It shocked me to see massive arrests of people and that nobody is bothered by this."
The analysis looks at the lost of trust towards the authorities. Many witnesses expressed "bitterness towards the police in general and their anti-professionalism attitude that shames the profession." The witnesses report many episodes where the policemen "ridiculed" them, "despised" them, "insulted" them, "humiliated" them, and sometimes even used physical force towards them.
Some abuse of authority were reported during detention, like intelligence gathering when disclosure was not compulsory, and the taking of photographs, even in the cases of infractions of municipal bylaws or the highway safety code. As per the law, the taking of photographs has to be limited to violations of the criminal code.
In fact, very few persons (less than 1 out of 7) were accused of criminal violations. Most of the people arrested were arrested regarding regulatory dispositions with vague characteristics, say the authors, which leaves policemen great discretionary powers.
Indeed, many witnesses mention a confusion among policemen at the moment of arrest. A witness says once he was at the police station, "the inspector was still wondering what violation could be held against him." Many received a ticket for "having crossed the road on a red light", "loitering", "spitting", "making audible noise", or not walking on the sidewalk.
Controlling demonstrators
Why so many tickets? For the authors, it suggests "that the main objective was to control the identity and the comings and goings of people and prevent them from reaching a rally."
For a lot of people, it worked: many witnesses say they are scared, today, to go join a rally. "Yes, it has after-effects, says Lucie Lemonde. But it also radicalized others."
The report concludes with 7 recommendations, like the holding of a public enquiry on police work and the infringement of freedom of speech. It also recommends the dropping of the accusations for the violations of the municipal bylaws and the highway safety code (but not those against the criminal code). It also asks for the creation of a "civil based mechanism, transparent, impartial and independent" to investigate police abuse.
Photo: Paul ChiassonA report on last year’s student demonstrations has concluded that police violated protesters’ rights and applied laws in an arbitrary manner.
“I was hurt and pushed to the ground by riot police. They touched me, they hurt me, they ignored me,” said one student witness.
Student group ASSÉ worked with two legal groups — the Quebec Human Rights League and the Association of Progressive Jurists — to produce the report.
The 47-page report, called "Repression, Discrimination and the Student Strike," was based on 384 witness accounts of the Quebec student demonstrations.
ASSÉ says many people suffered not only physical injuries, but also psychological ones. They said many people who came forward said they had been intimidated and humiliated by police officers.
Cmdr. Vincent Richer of the Montreal police said there were more than 700 demonstrations in Montreal last year.
"We did evaluate, all along, our way of working, and we did adjust our ways with the comments from people that were protesting,” he said.
“So generally speaking we are very satisfied with the police work that was done during the protests,” Richer added.
Marie-Claude St-Amant, a lawyer with the Association of Progressive Jurists, said she wants the creation of a special unit to investigate when someone dies or is injured during police interventions.
“It wouldn’t be policemen investigating police officers. It would be independent judges that would decide whether or not the acts that were committed are in fact violations of fundamental rights,“ St-Amant said.
The three groups plan to send their report to Premier Pauline Marois on Monday.
Report recommendations:
1. Withdrawal of all charges under municipal bylaws and Quebec’s highway safety code and stop proceedings against those whose rights were violated.
2. Launch a public investigation into police abuses, mass arrests and the violation of rights and liberties as a result of police intervention during the student strike.
3. Immediate ban on the use of rubber bullets, sound cannons and other lesser-lethal weapons used for crowd control.
4. Launch of an investigation by Quebec’s Commission on Human Rights and Youth Rights into political profiling and the mass violations of freedom of expression in Quebec.
5. Immediate repeal of bylaw P-6 and other municipal bylaws limiting the right to protest.
6. Immediate halt to the use of articles 500 and 500.1 by police during protests.
7. Creation of an independent body that would investigate all cases of police intervention that lead to the death or injury of an individual.
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/04/29/montreal-asse-student-demonstrations-protests-report-recommendations.html
Montreal police violated protesters’ rights, report says
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