Resist the F1 and State Repression
- from Bahrain to Montréal – solidarity action !
- Friday June 8, 2012, 6pm
Dorchester Square
Peel and Rene Levesque
métro Peel
Montreal, Quebec
facebook event
Less than two months since pro-democracy activists and government opposition movements called on the the Formula One to cancel to race in Bahrain, we march in solidarity the people who have been challenging the ruling al-Khalifa monarchy since February 14, 2011. We march in solidarity with the pro-democracy uprising that has faced more than 17 months of severe State repression.
On February 14, 2011, tens of thousands of Bahraini citizens responded to calls from government opposition and pro-democracy activists, and met at the ‘Pearl Monument’ in the capital city Manama to demand freedom, democracy and equal rights.
In the following days, people began to gather in the area, set up tents, and began to hold increasingly large demonstrations. These acts of popular resistance was met by strong repression from government forces with at least 5 people killed and hundreds injured before the government destroyed the Pearl Monument in the middle of March to prevent further demonstrations.
Since then, the pro-reform movement has spread, with protests across the country taking place on a daily basis. The Bahrani government has responded to this resistance and calls for social change by targeting democracy activists, arresting hundreds, and killing an estimated 55-65 people since the uprising began.
The F1 arrives in Montréal this weekend as the Charest government reaffirmed last week that it rejects the notion of accessible education, and refuses to acknowledge the growing social movement in Québec. As they have done for the last four months, the Government has stifled dissent through police brutality, more than 2,500 arrests and respressive legislation such as Bill 78.
As was the case in Bahrain, state repression will intensify around the F1, as the elites scurry to protect their friends and capitalist interests.
Within the context of the student movement’s call for economic disruption during the week of the F1 to promote the social strike, and in solidarity with popular resistance in Bahrain, we invite you to a solidarity demonstration on Friday June 8 at 6pm at Dorchester Square (Peel and Rene Levesque)
