[VIDEOS] The Pack walking in silence

Dominique Lelièvre and
Elisa Cloutier

Sunday, 20 August 2017 10:10

UPDATE
Sunday, 20 August 2017 23:25

Look at this article

After a crazy day that was confined inside for long hours, hundreds of supporters of The Pack have finally manifested itself in the street with several hours of delay, Sunday.

Order and discipline have been respected by the demonstrators who marched under police escort in the quiet and with a heavy silence.

“It prevents overflow. I think it is a way to pass a message of how much more civilized, ” said the spokesman of the group, Sylvain Brouillette, posted on the front of the procession.

Claims

The contrast with the clashes of the earlier hours was obvious and seemed to enjoy The Pack, who was protesting against illegal immigration.

“We are here to ask the Trudeau government to act in a responsible manager to the money and resources of taxpayers and assume its responsibilities to enforce its laws “, has hammered Mr. Brouillette, rejecting any form of racism in its ranks.

“We have people of all races in The Pack. It is people that are representative of québec society, ” he defended.

This is only to 18 h, which is four hours later than expected, or that the protesters are out of the édifice Marie-Guyart, where they spent the afternoon, first in a parking lot, and then on an upper floor where they had access to a toilet and running water.

The demonstrators are headed to the Great Aisle, before you gather around the fountain of Tourny.

Counter-protesters disappointed

The walk took place in front of a handful of against-peaceful protesters whose faces betrayed a great disappointment not to be able to clearly express their vision.

“The people of the black bloc have private all the world, and they gave the street to The Pack. […] They gave them a reason to victimize him, and with reason, instead of talking about their ideas and lies that they convey “, railed Yuva Ben-Younes, a resident of Quebec.

At his side, Marili Brindamour had the feeling that the police had been too intransigent in the place of the militant pro-immigration. “I think that we circled quickly and that she has been violent with us “, she expressed.

What they said

“We condemn the violence and intimidation. We live in a democracy where the respect should be the norm and not the exception. “

– Philippe Couillard, premier of Quebec

“The violence, the masks, this is not a way of expressing themselves. Regardless of his opinion. Final Point. “

– Jean-François Lisée, leader of the Parti québécois

“Quebecers are able calmly to discuss. No to violence. “

– François Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec

“We must not look away from the real target : the racism. Don’t let the intolerant be those who are the victims. “

– Manon Massé, a spokesperson of Québec solidaire

Against illegal protest

At 14h15, the event pro-immigration was declared illegal by the police Department of the City of Quebec, which ordered the protesters to leave the premises.

#Event Since acts of violence and vandalism, the event is now illegal

— SPVQ_police (@SPVQ_police) August 20, 2017

#Manifestation We proceed to the arrest of a protester at this time

— SPVQ_police (@SPVQ_police) August 20, 2017

Activist Jaggi Singh, who was the head of the group, has also been arrested, under the loud protests of his peers.

Shortly before 16h, the SPVQ had declared illegal another gathering of 200 to 300 people who waited patiently for the release of The Pack on the grounds that acts of vandalism have been committed.

Clashes between protesters and police

Many acts of violence are committed among combinations, the anti-fascists who were divided over the hill.

A man apparently sympathetic to the discourse of The Pack has suffered significant injuries and was bleeding profusely from the head after being pushed against a fixture at the corner of the rue Saint-Louis and avenue Honoré-Mercier.

Photo Agence QMI, Guy Martel

Photo Agence QMI, Marc Vallières

Photo Agence QMI, Marc Vallières

Projectiles and firecrackers were thrown toward the police by a small group of counter-protesters become uncontrollable. Some of the firecrackers would have affected tourists and members of the media, who were in the middle.

On the Grande-Allée, a small group of counter-demonstrators set fire to a trash can before heading to the police.

The counter-demonstrators had started in the quiet

It is in the quiet that hundreds of counter-protesters gathered Sunday afternoon at the Place D’youville before heading towards the Complex G, where everything changed.

From 13h, a number of families, citizens and representatives of the Line anti-fascist anti-racist Quebec had their signs and slogans : “Not a racist in my Quebec”, “Compassion without borders”, “Quebec without fear and without hatred”, to name a few.

Photo Elisa Cloutier

Photo Elisa Cloutier

Supporters of Québec Solidaire, Option Nationale and Amnesty international, and included parties of the counter-demonstrators. The member of parliament for Louis-Hébert, Joel Lightbound was also present “for the inclusion, acceptance and tolerance.” “We want to send a positive message, to say that we have a tradition of hospitality. Unless you are aboriginal we are all immigrants,” he said.

A group of citizens dressed in black and wearing scarves – some of whom have later served as masks, were also present to be heard, without, however, wanting to identify. A sign that some were expecting clashes, a stuck of them wore a Red Cross on the arm, indicating that they were equipped to treat their potential mates injured.

It is a little before 15h, escorted by the police, that the counter-demonstrators headed towards the fountain of Tourny. Then, in the absence of clear indications and organisers visible, nearly half of the group turned back, while a few hundred counter-protesters have decided to go to the meeting of the activists of the Pack, where the situation has escalated, even without a member of the group does so to the parking lot, in which they were confined.

Anne Guérette had announced his presence

A little earlier on Sunday, the leader of Democracy in Québec, Anne Guérette, had announced that it would participate in the counter demonstration in favor of immigration, provided that there is no overflow.

In a press briefing prior to the planned event at Place d’youville, Ms. Guérette wanted to send a message of openness to all protesters, including those of The Pack. “We tell them they have the right to protest, they are entitled to their opinions, but it must be done in calmness and non-violence “, she said, stressing that it would abandon the event if there were overflows.

“I’m here as a citizen, as a mother and as a politician”, she mentioned, saying, however, against illegal immigration.

Protests in #Qc : violence NEVER has its place. Respect is essential for a healthy democracy!

— Anne Guérette (@AGuerette) August 20, 2017

In the late afternoon on Sunday, on his Twitter account, however, she deplored the violence demonstrated by some of the demonstrators.