Hundreds Confront Atlantica, Keep Cops Running : IMC Maritimes

A noon-time march drew about 400 this afternoon starting from Victoria Park. Organized as the largest anti-Atlantica event this weekend, the march included a large, direct action contingent. Speakers at Parade Square emphasized the disastrous effects that the Atlantica International Region would have upon Atlantic Canada and New England. Speakers included Joseph Jardany from the Halifax/Dartmouth District Labour Council, Brendan from the Ecology Action Centre, the Halifax Raging Grannies, Mustafa from Block the Empire Montreal, and Halifax's own political hip-hop catastrophe EMC and the Hermit.

Most bystanders or onlookers at the event that I spoke to either had no idea what Atlantica was, or had a hazy and distrustful understanding of the proposal.

The march departed at approximately 1:30, and slowly snaked down Spring Garden, with demonstrators chanting "A-I-M-S, that's the way you spell distress", "BMO, Irving Oil, How many unions will you spoil" and "Atlantica: Shut it down." As the crowd arrived near Parade Square in downtown Halifax, the anti-capitalist contingent, numbering at least 100 split off and started to run towards the World Trade and Convention Centre, the site of the Atlantica conference. A green contingent remained in Parade Square for speeches. A few paint bombs were thrown at cops, as well as one smoke bomb, after which the Anti-Capitalist contingent/Black Block turned on their heels and headed down Argyle St, away from the loose line of police that had gathered in front of the WTCC. This snake march then headed towards the Spring Garden library, where police began pushing and grabbing protestors. I witnessed one arrest, and pepper spray made a brief appearance.

At this point, there was a split in the march, with some people heading up Brunswick and others moving towards the library. Those at the library were apparently pepper-sprayed.

At some point, a group of black blockers were corralled by police on Brunswick St. Accounts indicate that as many as 8, perhaps nine were pepper-sprayed, even while they were lying on the ground, clearly under arrest. One protestor was knocked completely unconscious by police after being repeatedly tazered while lying on the ground. An ambulance did not arrive for more than 5 minutes.

At present, the direct action group has dissipated, and there is a small group of approximately 30 protestors gathering in front of the WTCC doors, in front of a line of riot cops. As I type, accounts seeming to be indicating that police staged another arrest of a demonstrator. 16 arrests have been confirmed, the actual number is likely to be many more.

Mainstream media on the scene swarmed the arrests looking for sensational footage. When asked what would likely make it to air in stories about Atlantica, these journalists apologetically claimed that their editors would probably subsume the story with the usual cops-and-paint-bombs cliches.

Because you failed to apply even a small degree of control on your protests, you've succeeded in only making your entire movement look like a bunch of assholes in the eyes of the general public. Whatever progress that HAS been made has now been set back by months.

Good job, really.

Personally watching 2 "law enfrocement officers" tazor a man IN CUFFS to the point of unconsciousness - we should be focusing on the rabid behaviour/ violence of the police. We should not be down on others who take an approach that is tactically differnet from ones own. No one was hurt from the actions of the demonstrators and MANY people were hurt from the action of the Halifax police. So lets talk more about that.

-multiple tazoring in cuffs
-battons striking high above the officers head while victim in cuffs
-mother arrested while 11month old in arms
-by-standers assaulted with clouds a chemicals
-punching, kicking, pushing by police
-using police bicycles as weaponds
-using protesters flags to beat protesters

There will be more photos/ video uploaded to show the guilt of the Halifax police soon!

I find as well in this article a focus on sensational events of the cops/protesters clash. A little blurb on what Atlantica is would be nice. I've found in this movement this weekend a lot of focus on direct action and very little on educating the public on an issue I think a lot of people would be concerned about. Most Canadians would think lower minimum wages, an erosion of rights and weaker environmental laws would be a bad thing. Yet they are not informed. That said, the level of police violence I read about and witnessed was shocking and demoralising. Hopefully the repetition of the word "Atlantica" will at least get some people curious.

Almost makes me glad I couldn't be there (almost). I'd probably be having flashbacks. The clash at the WTCC sounds like the 2001 G7 finance ministers meeeting, including the water baloons being used to justify pepper spray, tazers, assult of non resisting demonstators.
And I'm glad there was a solid black block. But the issue is raised: are you there to bring attention to a harmful backroom deal, shedding some light on the subect and introducing it to public debate; or are you there out of a personal desire to confron the police, provoke insurrection, assult institutions and private property. different tactics serve different goals. In the first case you serve the public trust, in the second, you act for your own reasons. Don't kid yourself that the people are with you when you turn their neighborhood into a riot zone. What are you trying to achive? what's the goal here? do your actions put you closer or farther from it?

I can only trust that the Anti-Capitalist contingent/Black Block were simply using tactics that would truly awaken a sleeping public to the grim reality of the Atlantica Accord and its proponents inside the WTCC; I cannot help feeling solidarity with them. They're using methods that both the US and Canadian gov'ts and their militaries use daily throughout the world to "fight terror ," "secure resources," and spread "Democracy." If our message is to be heard by the masses, sometimes we need to speak the language of the oppressor.

Most pacifists might righteously argue against these strategies, but their own peaceful ways may do more to serve those behind the doors of the WTCC than hinder them.

"The master's house will never be dismantled using only one tool, whether that tool is discourse, hammers, or high explosives." - Derrick Jensen

Respect tactics.

K

The police had every right to the force they used to curb the dissent from the Black Bloc. The only problem was that not all of them suffered the same fate as a few of their comrades. The measured force used by police or any riot control is going to be greater than that of the protestor to ensure a quick end to the situation. If you have to resort to breaking laws through property damage, hurling objects, or any other criminal act under the criminal code them you must be prepared to suffer the consequences. I am not against the Anti-atlantica cause but this kind of publicity is not going to win over those who are not familiar with your struggle. Appeal to the emotoinal nature of the average person and win over their hearts, the cause will get more respect and thus carry more weight for change.

"Police Riot", so you got roughed up by the cops. SUCK IT UP

Now...

A few DO'S and DONT'S on RUNNING A MOVEMENT

DO: Keep your group of punks and hippies organized and disciplined (as much as you can, anyway)
DON'T: Let them do whatever the hell they want at key demonstrations.
DO: Make sure that reports on past events are concise, understandable and free of omission, militancy or any over-the-top rhetoric.
DON'T: Devote two third's of your reports to how you got your ass kicked by the cops
DO: Communicate your message in a way that it can be received favourably by as much of the general public as possibile.
DON'T: START A FUCKING RIOT
Oh, and-
DON'T: Quote Derrick Jensen.

GUY'S FUCKING NUTS

ciao

I was on Spring Garden road when the lightbulbs and rocks were being thrown and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Black Bloc did nothing but alienate anyone watching the protest.

I followed the procession up Argyle st and to Brunswick because it was (mostly) on my way back to a friend's apartment and I was curious to see what was going on. On argyle street, there were rocks being thrown at police as the protesters turned onto the street that "Bubbles Mansion" is on.

The only thing that I agree with was that of what I could see of some of the arrests on Brunswick street, the cops were way too violent. One kid looked really messed up. This however doesn't eradicate anything that the black bloc protesters did to incite the police to the violence. BOTH sides were guilty of breaking laws.

Its unfortunate, because there are a lot of valid concerns people can have with the Atlantica meetings and none will ever see the light of day because of a bunch of small faction of the larger protesting group.

Here is a list of Derrick Jensen's book. If anyone out there has the time, I suggest that you read any or all of them (I won't tell you what to do).

The Culture of Make Believe
A Language Older than Words
Strangely like War
Listening to the Land: Conversations on Nature, Culture, and Eros.
End Game Vol 1: The Problem of Civilization
End Game Vol 2: Resistance.

By no means is this in defense of Derrick Jensen; this is in defense of our planet.

ciao.

This is what real resistance is all about, people.

I have no idea why everyone is so freaked out about how things went down. The Anti-Caps went to the wall for everyone else in the Anti-Atlantica movement, put their bodies on the line to get us some national coverage - which we definitely would not have had otherwise - and they did so in a highly organized and disciplined way that put nobody else at risk whatsoever.

Give them a break.

Give them a break? Are you serious?

They did not engage in resistance. They engaged in an offensive action, an illegal action, for which our society has quite appropriate resoonses. These little hooligans committed crimes against our society, and for that they deserve jail-time, not applause.

If they want to prove that there is a better society to be had, then they had better begin looking for ways to build it before they begin tearing down the system that we live in.

I for one do not want to live in a society where people are lauded as some form of hero for these types of activities.

Those AIMS creeps are on record as wanting to get rid of the minimum wage in Nova Scotia altogether.

If anyone belongs in jail, they do.

HCAP organized this march and in my opinion they and the people that follow their brainwashing doctrine are domestic terrorists plain and simple. The authorities should treat HCAP as a domestic terrorist organization because thats what they are. They are cowards who have no lives of their own and no direction in life so they cause shit and bother other people who actually have lives. I say to hell with the poor, get a fucking job and work like everyone else and stop complaining. Smash the Black Bloc! Three cheers for the police for a job well done. Next time I only hope the police will use more force.