From our enemies
After eight weeks of mostly peaceful marching and chanting, the student demonstrations have taken mischievous turn in the past few days.
Paint was splattered at Collège de Valleyfield, glue was squirted into locks at Concordia, a police cruiser was vandalized on Thursday night, a protester was arrested for assaulting an officer Thursday night and on Friday morning a group of protesters broke into the offices of Education Minister Line Beauchamp on Henri Bourassa Blvd. and trashed them.
The students had been massing in Montreal North before the incident.
“At 8: 30 a.m., 15 students left the group and entered the building where Beauchamp’s offices are,” said Montreal police spokesperson Daniel Lacoursière.
“They went to the floor where her office is and they broke two windows on the doors, entered the office and trashed the inside. One person was arrested. The group then went out of the building and joined others outside.”
Furniture was upended and files strewn around and although there was material damage, no one was hurt. Police officers were waiting outside for the students but many of them managed to escape arrest by using the emergency exit from the building.
Caught up in the excitement were a reporter and photographer for La Presse, who were also arrested. Philippe Teisceira-Lessard was reporting from inside the minister’s office when he was arrested and held for breaking and entering. He was later released.
Photographer Martin Chamberland was shadowing students outside when police declared their assembly illegal at 9: 45 a.m. at the corner of Henri Bourassa and Pie IX Blvds. He was charged with illegal association and later released.
All in all there were seven arrests: one for break and entry, three for illegal assembly and three for illegal assembly and mischief.
Lawyers for the Université de Montréal and its student association were in court again on Friday after protesters vandalized the university’s main pavilion on Thursday. They broke into the building, said university spokesperson Flavie Côté, who noted paint was spilled inside, windows were broken and there was an attempt to break down a door.
The university tried to get an amendment to the 10-day temporary injunction it obtained on Wednesday, asking that picketing, large gatherings and demonstrations be banned on university property.
But a Quebec Superior Court judge turned down the request.
The temporary injunction in effect until next Friday simply prevents students from blocking access to buildings.