Translating the printemps érable
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For more useful English-language sources on the conflict, see:
CUTV - broadcasting live from the protests nightly
Rouge Squad - Tactical Translation Team
Rabble.ca's Maple Spring Coverage
Marie-Andrée Gosselin August 14, 2012
Original French text: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/08/14/malgre-des-retours-en-classe-la-crise-est-toujours-vivante
This Thursday the students of Laval Montmorency College, on strike since March 13, must return to classes because on Tuesday 70% of them voted to return to class.
The students who met after the vote have all insisted that the fight against rising tuition fees is not over.
“We are not stopping the strike because we have lost or because of Law 78 but because we are in elections.” said Alexandre St-Onge-Perron, a student who openly supports the Parti Quebecois candidate Léo Bureau-Blouin.
Mr. St-Onge-Perron now hopes that the mobilization will continue for the elections on September 4. “I hope that the movement will transform itself,” he said. “I have never heard people my age talk about politics. I hope that the mobilization will make it to political parties and polling stations.”
Jean Barbe, August 10, 2012
Original French Text: http://blogues.journaldemontreal.com/barbe/actualites/voter-pour-vrai-2/
Does it really have to be said again? Last year, during the federal election campaign, no one in Quebec, neither the pollsters nor the political commentators, predicted the orange wave. Not a single one. They were so off, that most of them justified their incompetence by accusing Quebeckers of voting haphazardly with no rhyme or reason!
Some considered it a sympathy vote for Jack Layton. Others interpreted it as total exasperation with the tired and predictable election process itself. And, if memory serves me correctly, a few even invoked the “moustache” factor!
Pollsters and commentators couldn’t get over it: Quebec voters elected NDP candidates who had practically never stepped foot in their ridings! “They voted for posters on telephone poles!” they complained.
But the voters knew: better to vote for a lamppost on the left than a scarecrow on the extreme right.
Sarah-Maude Lefebvre July 10, 2012
Original French Text: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/07/09/une-lexus-aux-frais-de-luniversite
A vice-president of Concordia will drive around in a luxurious Lexus at the university’s expense, courtesy of a generous benefits program for executives.
Le Journal had confirmation of the granting of a negotiated contract between the university and a Montreal Lexus distributor for a value of $37 155.22 for the rental of an RX 350 model car.
The university, which has made headlines multiple times in the past, notably for the severance packages given out to its executives, offers a generous benefits program for the rental of a car for its six vice-presidents. They see themselves given $900 each month for the rental and maintenance of a car of their choice.
Raphaël Dallaire-Ferland July 7, 2012
Original French Text: http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/medias/354051/la-couverture-mediatique-du-conflit-etudiant
In a report published this week, Influence Communication analyzed 396 front pages of Montreal’s four commercial dailies —La Presse, Le Devoir, Le Journal de Montréal and The Gazette.
The period covered extends from February 15, when strike votes first started attracting major media attention, up to June 9, 2012, more than one week after the failure of negotiations between minister Michelle Courchesne and the student leaders.
While the conflict made the front pages of Le Devoir, La Presse and The Gazette in similar proportions (approximately 73.5% of front pages), Le Journal de Montréal gave it less attention, allocating 42% of front-page coverage. Le Devoir had the highest ratio of top headlines (stories given the most space) devoted to the student movement, occupying 43.88% of the total of its front pages.
Tommy Chouinard and Paul Journet June 12, 2012
Controversial poster art by music group Mise en Demeure, published on cover of today’s Journal de Montréal.
Original French text: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201206/12/01-4534219-khadir-envisage-de-poursuivre-le-journal-de-montreal.php
The deputy leader of Quebec Solidaire, Amir Khadir, will likely take legal action against the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec for headlines in today’s editions.
The front pages of both dailies featured the headline, “Khadir Armed, Charest Dead” («Khadir armé, Charest mort»,). A subtitle specified that a “troubling image” had been found at the Mercier MNA’s home during a police search of his residence last Thursday. The front page image is a of poster inspired by the famous painting, “Liberty Guiding the People,” by Eugène Delacroix. In the altered version of the painting featured in the papers, Amir Khadir’s head has been photo-shopped onto the body of a revolutionary fighter, and Premier Jean Charest’s head has been photo-shopped onto the body of a man lying on the ground.
François-Xavier Simard June 2, 2012
Original French Text: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/06/02/le-piege-de-charest
By provoking the striking students, Quebec Premier Jean Charest is preparing to carry out the same Machiavellian plan used by Trudeau. Older voters like me remember the parade on June 24, 1968, the eve of the first general election of Pierre Elliot Trudeau as the head of the federal troops. Despite the risk of his presence provoking Quebec nationalists, Trudeau insisted on watching the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day parade from the top of the grandstand on Sherbrooke Street: this was Truncheon Monday.
A police officer of the rapid deployment force reveals his state of mind
Daniel Renaud Journal de Montréal May 25, 2012
Original French Text: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/05/25/on-reste-de-glace-en-se-disant-que-tantot-on-va-charger
[Trans. note: We absolutely do not condone what is said in this interview, but rather we share it so that people can see the rationalizations being made by the police in the context of Bill 78, police violence, and mass arrests.]
Montreal’s police force has been subjected to a frenzied rate of interventions over the past three months.
Night after night, officers of Montreal police force’s anti-riot squad might be considered “robots” by protesters, yet they are humans who also have their own fears, their own feelings, and their own opinions on the student conflict that has lasted for three months now. The Journal sat down with one of them and has summarized the interview in this Q&A.
How can you remain staunchly unmoved in front of protesters who insult you and hurl objects at you?
“We are trained for that. We hold back by telling ourselves that our boss will soon give us the order to charge. It’s our candy. What pisses us off the most is when we’re hit by objects and our officers don’t give us the order to charge.”
Do you hesitate to use your truncheon and are you afraid of hurting someone?
“No, we have no hesitation. However, we are trained to know how to hit and not hurt someone. We aim for the stomach, the front of the thighs and the arms, for example”. “When a protest is declared illegal, people have no more business there. They can raise their arms in the air and give us peace and love signs as much as they want, they’re gonna be arrested anyways”. “The guys call it National Geographic because when we charge, the kids run like gazelles! The kids find us athletic despite the 65 pounds we’re carrying on our backs.”
Emmanuel Delancour May 23, 2012
Original French Text: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/05/23/contre-la-loi-78
“In our opinion, the task of driving buses in extreme conditions belongs to the police.”
The STM Bus Driver’s Union calls on its members to disobey law 78, a suggestion that angers the Montreal Police (SPVM).
“This law is an offense to our fundamental rights and it doesn’t only effect the students. In the past, we joined together to denounce the P.P.P. . These protests would have been declared illegal under this law,” explained Denis Vaillancourt, Executive President of the STM Bus Driver’s Union, the SCFP 1983.
Moreover, he encourages his members to no longer volunteer for extra hours during protests, by way of not transporting police officers that are assigned to the events.
“Stupid and irresponsible”
“These remarks are stupid and irresponsible,” declared Yves Francoeur, president of the brotherhood of Montreal police (fraternite du SPVM), adding, “that they could generate prosecution under the criminal code.”
In effect, M. Francoeur confirmed that the drivers who refuse to transport agents of the SPVM could be accused of impeding the work of police officers.
It is just as regrettable that the leaders of SCFP 1983 lower themselves to using videos taken “out of context that mislead people” to justify their decisions.
Indeed, on the STM bus driver’s union’s website, videos depicting SPVM agents pepper spraying and bludgeoning protesters were put on line after texts calling for civil disobedience.
A Question of Security
M. Vaillancourt replied that he has only the wellbeing of his members in mind when he asks them not to voluntarily transport police officers.
“It’s a question of health and security. Bricks were thrown threw the rear window of a bus borrowed by the SPVM. I will not wait until one of my members is hurt to caution them,” he underlined.
Moreover, the president of SCFP 1983 maintains that his members are not impeding the work of police officers and that this is no place to talk of criminal prosecution.
“The SPVM can still commandeer a bus of the SPVM at anytime and no driver will oppose him. Also, the police service possesses large vehicles that it can use during interventions,” he reminded.
Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.
*Translating the printemps érable is a volunteer collective attempting to balance the English media’s extremely poor coverage of the student conflict in Québec by translating media that has been published in French into English. These are amateur translations; we have done our best to translate these pieces fairly and coherently, but the final texts may still leave something to be desired. If you find any important errors in any of these texts, we would be very grateful if you would share them with us at translatingtheprintempsderable@gmail.com. Please read and distribute these texts in the spirit in which they were intended; that of solidarity and the sharing of information.
The special law imposed on students will not achieve social peace, according to the population.
François A-Trudel Le Journal de Montréal
Published: Monday May 21, 11:25PM | Updated Tuesday May 22, 12:12AM
Original text: www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/05/21/le-gouvernement-va-trop-loin
The government’s “truncheon law” (loi matraque) is losing favor in support of its position in the tuition hike issue. Whereas 60% of the population claimed to be “more in favor of the government’s position” on May 10, this proportion has dropped by 9 point in only ten days.
Law 78 is too severe, according to Quebecois, who are loudly calling for discussions to end the student conflict.
This has been made clear in the survey conducted Saturday, Sunday and yesterday by the firm of QMI/Léger Marketing, in the wake of the special law on protests passed last Friday.
Division
Despite everything, Léger Marketing’s Executive Vice President Christian Bourque is refusing to speak of a bulk rejection of the law.
“We have noticed rather that it has divided Quebec in two equal halves and that it is even dividing generations”, he claimed.
The question “Are you in favor of or opposed to this special law?” spilt respondents at 47% on both sides.
“It’s interesting, because there’s a significant 53% of the population who believe the law goes to far and is too severe”, Mr Bourque added.
According to him, the more the population analyzes the law, the more hesitant it is.
The question of managing the protests is agreed upon, as per the consensus on the municipal anti-mask regulation, but not the law’s repression and its farther reach than the student conflict.
[Translation of above chart:
Obligation for the organizers of protests of over 50 people to reveal 8 hours ahead of time the date, the time, the duration, the location, as well as the protest’s intinerary
Completely Agree: 61%
Completely Disagree: 37%Class suspension for all schools affected by the strike
Completely Agree: 54%
Completely Disagree: 41%Ban on public assemblies within educational institutions and within a 50 meter radius surrounding them.
Completely Agree: 52%
Completely Disagree: 44%That the police authorities have the right to make protests illegal if they do not approve of their itineraries.
Completely Agree: 51%
Completely Disagree: 46%The giving of fines and other penalties not only to protesters, but also to all student or union associations who do not respect the law.
Completely Agree: 50%
Completely Disagree: 47%Fines of 1 000$ to 5 000$ per day for a mere citizen, fines of 7 000$ to 35 000$ for a leader and of 25 000$ to 125 000$ for a student association.
Completely Agree: 43%
Completely Disagree: 54%That the special law not only applies to student protests, but to any protest, no matter what it is about, and this, for a period of one year.
Completely Agree: 43%
Completely Disagree: 54%]
As such, 54% of respondents claimed to be in “complete disagreement” with the hefty fines doled out to regular citizens and to student associations, along with the approach to the law’s application.
Change of heart
The government’s “truncheon law” (loi matraque) is losing favor in support of its position in the tuition hike issue. Whereas 60% of the population claimed to be “more in favor of the government’s position” on May 10, this proportion has dropped by 9 point in only ten days.
Christian Bourque attributes this phenomenon directly to the passing of Law 78 and to its “backwash”.
“It’s the only element that has changed since the last survey”, he explained.
Since the beginning of the conflict, public opinion has seemed to distance itself from whichever appears to be the more aggressive side.
“We are under the impression that opinions on the student position dipped after the Victoriaville riot, but now that the government is seen as being on the offensive, it is losing points”, resumed Mr Bourque.
Translated from the original French by Translating the printemps érable.
*Translating the printemps érable is a volunteer collective attempting to balance the English media’s extremely poor coverage of the student conflict in Québec by translating media that has been published in French into English. These are amateur translations; we have done our best to translate these pieces fairly and coherently, but the final texts may still leave something to be desired. If you find any important errors in any of these texts, we would be very grateful if you would share them with us at translatingtheprintempsderable@gmail.com. Please read and distribute these texts in the spirit in which they were intended; that of solidarity and the sharing of information.
