BY GRANT HARGRAVE AND JOANNE WALLADOR
MONTREAL - More than 200 Kurds and their supporters staged a
spirited demonstration at the courthouse here March 8 demanding
freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the
Kurdish Workers' Party, and the release of Kurds arrested here
during demonstrations in front of the Greek and Israeli
consulates on February 16 and 19.
About 30 arrests have been made in Montreal so far. They face charges of participating in a riot, conspiracy, possession of weapons and inflammable matter, and assaulting the cops. The police, courts, and newspapers are working to portray those who participated in the protests as barbaric terrorists. But Kurdish spokespeople have explained that it was the police who reacted violently to their protests. To aid in making the arrests, police raided six television stations and seized footage of the protests.
The demonstrators, who included many young people chanted "Kurdish rights are human rights", "Justice for Kurds" and "Free our comrades." A leaflet distributed by organizers of the demonstration reported that 150 Kurdish businesses were closed for the day in solidarity.
Although the big majority of the demonstrators were Kurds, supporters in the demonstration included several Greeks and some Quebecois students.
When the protesters arrived at the courthouse, there was already a smaller rally taking place sponsored by the Quebec Women's Federation to celebrate International Women's Day. Some of the participants in that rally made a point of giving roses to women in the Kurdish demonstration.
So far three Kurds have been refused bail and will be imprisoned until their trial. At their February 24 hearing, the lawyer for the prosecution, Serge Authier, argued against bail by saying, "Not a week goes by in Canada without groups blocking a street for one reason or another. I heard on the radio that some unionists blocked the airport in Halifax."
He continued his argument linking "union terrorism" and "terrorism" in general. The judge ruled against bail for the three, saying that the violence they are accused of was premeditated.
Grant Hargrave is a member of International Association of Machinists Lodge 1758.