Who’s Watching the Watchdogs?

Montreal Police have quite the reputation for brutality.  I had not given much thought to it until I was walking along St. Laurent street on Saturday night. I came upon a police officer harassing a man and a woman. The girl looked scared, so I decided to observe the situation.  I informed the officer that I would be observing the situation. He told me to step away. I did. He told me to step away again. So I did.

He got pissed off, and walked up to me. He spoke to me in rapid-fire French, a language that despite my efforts, I am unable to fully understand. Having informed him that I did not understand what he was saying, he scoffed and told me that I should leave. I told him that I know that I have a right to observe.  He proceeded to yell at me in French. He asked for my ID (in English), and I happily provided him with it. He then informed me in English that he was going to give me a ticket, but did not say what it was for. My friend, Sven, came up to me and asked what was going on. I explained the situation to him. Meanwhile, the cop stomped off to his police car.

“For what?” I asked. I walked up to the police car and demanded that he inform me of what I had done wrong. He told me to step back onto the sidewalk. So I did.  Sven turned to the car and asked “what is she being charged with?” Sven is a lawyer, by the way. Two other friends, Tom and Catherine, joined us on the sidewalk.

The other cop demanded that Tom show him ID. Tom refused. He doesn’t need to show ID, no one does unless police have cause to suspect that someone has just commited a crime, or is about to commuit one. Suddenly ten police cars showed up, and twenty police officers emerged from them. One of them grabbed my arm and pulled it up behind my back, breaking my glasses in the process. (I woke up with a big bruise on one arm, and scratches on the other today.)  Six police officers grabbed Tom and tackled him to the floor, and smashed his head against the concrete. They shackled his arms and legs. Another four grabbed Sven, and put him in hand cuffs. 

The police woman holding my arm let me go, and yelled at me in French. I told her I did not speak French, and informed her that I’ve only been in Montreal for two years. She yelled some more (in French) and then walked away. Catherine and I watched in horror at the brutality, the nonsensical use of force. We asked for a pen from the police officers so that we could write down their names and badge numbers. The approximately seven officers in earshot all refused, saying that they didn’t have any extra pens. One of them patted his shirt pocket, which held some pens, and said “see, I’m using mine,” as he walked away laughing.

In the end, Tom, Sven and I were given tickets for “En ayant gene la circulation des pietons et refuse sans motif valable de circuler a la demande d’un agent de la paix.” Which apparently means “For having obstructed pedestian traffic and refusing without viable motive to circulate upon being asked by a peace officer.” I find it ironic that he calls himself an ‘agent of peace’.

They took Sven and Tom to the police station parking lot, then pushed them out of the cars and told them to leave.

Tom has bruises, cuts and scrapes all over him.  As well as the ticket for ‘obstructing pedestrian traffic’ Tom is being charged with ‘resisting arrest’ and ‘assaulting a police officer’. Sven is also charged with ‘assaulting a police officer’. Neither Tom nor Sven laid a hand on anyone that night, which leads me to the newfound understanding that the phrase ‘assaulting a police officer’ is code for ‘being assaulted by a police officer’. The phrase is simply used to justify the bruises and the blood caused by “officers of the law”on the citizens they are meant to “protect”.  I don’t feel any safer. Next time I walk alone at night, I won’t be scared by the random drug dealers walking by, I’ll be scared of the legally armed golems that are there to ‘protect’ me from harm.

Moral of the story: don’t ever stand on the sidewalk near police officers: you have no idea what will happen next.

This video is American, from the Guerilla News Network. Canadian law is similar in that you are legally allowed to observe the actions of a police officer as long as you stand at least 2 metres away fromt the scene.

Beware: watching the watchdog can go horribly awry.