Montreal police cracked down on protesters outside UQAM’s student encampment in support of Gaza on Monday.
Robert was backing away from police when they unloaded a can of CS Gas into his eyes.
The “pepper spray” used by Montreal police is actually a powder that attacks pain receptors in the eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin. At close range, it is excruciating, causing some to double over in pain and vomit.
In Robert’s case, it wasn’t the pain so much as the fact that he was temporarily blind, trying not to get trampled by the riot squad as they closed in on him.
“To be so disoriented and completely at the mercy of police, that terrified me,” said Robert, who was blocking President Kennedy Ave. during a protest Monday when police intervened.
“They were swinging their batons wildly, I know of at least two comrades who were concussed and others who had to be treated at the encampment. We weren’t warned, weren’t told to leave and even though we were backing away from the cops, they attacked us with blistering violence.”
Robert is part of the encampment at Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM), where protesters blocked the streets to raise awareness of Israel’s war on Gaza. His group stood at four intersections near the downtown campus for about 20 minutes, playing music and chanting slogans until columns of riot police broke up the direct action. (more...)
Battle Over Pro-Palestine Encampment Spills Onto Streets
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