Legal Support Update (Montreal and Ottawa)
Montreal Legal Support Committee, 21.08.2007 20:50
The Montreal Legal Support Committee, in communication with Ottawa Legal Support, can confirm that four people were arrested in Montebello on August 20.
August 21, 2007, 8pm: The Montreal Legal Support Committee, in communication with Ottawa Legal Support, can confirm that four people were arrested in Montebello on August 20; 1 man earlier in the day, from London, who has since been released; 2 women arrested later in the day, during the police tear gas attack at 17h40; and another man, from north of Montebello, who was arrested after 18h. We are still confirming exact charges and conditions; we know that two protesters are facing obstruction and resisting arrest charges; at least one of the released protesters has the condition to stay away from Montebello for one month.
Three of the arrested protesters were released by the late evening of August 20, but one woman, from near Ottawa, is now being detained in Gatineau and has a hearing on Wednesday morning. Ottawa Legal Support is following up to ensure legal representation and a presence at her hearing.
All four arrested protesters were held at the Papineauville school that was converted into a police headquarters and detention facility. From the information we received, the school gymnasium was divided into four cages, with barbed wire on top; office dividers were used for "privacy". There was apparently a judge present at the school, for the semblance of a court hearing, but no defence lawyer was physically present.
While we can confirm four arrests, there are three more “arrests” that you can view on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1-WTc1kow
The SQ has told a Canadian Press reporter that there were four arrests in total (ignoring the three additional “arrests” shown in the video), and both the RCMP and SQ are refusing to comment on these seemingly staged “arrests” of police provocateurs.
e-mail:: montreallegal@gmail.com
Homepage:: http://www.psp-spp.com