Montreal In Pictures

August 22 2012

Although the student demonstrations have reduced in size from their peak in the spring, a large protest has been regularly held on the 22nd day of each month – today marked the 6th mass demonstration since the protests began.

Despite many students at the CEGEP’s and Universities that were boycotting classes voting in recent weeks to return to classes to complete their cancelled semester from the spring there was still a good number of protesters today – estimates vary from 12,000 to 100,000, but I would say many journalists saying around 20,000 were probably close.

Protesters gathered at Place du Canada at 2 and eventually headed up towards rue Sherbrook at around 3. The march ended at Place Jacques Cartier and had dispersed by 5.30. Police reported no arrests.

Young protester blowing bubbles
ISO 100 – 195mm – f5.3 – 1/640 sec

Mini Anarchopanda
ISO 100 – 145mm – f4.8 – 1/500 sec

Elderly supporter
ISO 100 – 90mm – f4.5 – 1/160 sec

Riot police follow protesters on Maisonneuve
ISO 100 – 70mm – f4.5 – 1/125 sec

Student protesters walk East on Sherbrooke
ISO 100 – 70mm – f4.5 – 1/400 sec

Student protesters walk south on blvd Saint Laurent
ISO 100 – 18mm – f5.6 – 1/100 sec

Onlooker watches from UQAM building on rue Sherbrooke
ISO 100 – 75mm – f9 – 1/80 sec

Student Protesters pass below on rue Berri
ISO 100 – 20mm – f3.2 – 0.6 sec

The police remained fairly low key throughout the march with only a small group of around 20 riot police shadowing the marchers at certain points. The only other group (except for the cycle police at the head of the march) was a small group standing near the rail tracks at the end of the march in Montreal.

Police watch protesters from a distance
ISO 100 – 105mm – f5.6 – 1/320 sec

Riot policeman poses for photos with demonstrators
ISO 100 – 70mm – f5 – 1/500 sec

The only act of defiance I personally witnessed was the removal of any (read ALL) election posters along the march route – I would personally endorse this action and by the cheers the removals received I was not alone. I hate the fact many are put at a level where you risk running into them with your head, and more so, that it always seems to take longer to remove them than it does candidates to put them up – well not the case this time 😉 It should be noted that no candidate poster was safe with each party being targeted, not just Charest or the PLQ candidates.

Removing election posters
ISO 100 – 116mm – f5.6 – 1/400 sec

Removing election posters
ISO 100 – 210mm – f5.3 – 1/200 sec

Pauline Marois election poster in road
ISO 100 – 11.5mm – f5.6 – 1/250 sec

End of the road for some placards
ISO 100 – 102mm – f13 – 1/160 sec

This was the last mass protest before the provincial elections are held on September 4. What happens after then…no one knows – interesting times ahead and being the first election in Canada that I can vote in, one that I’m following particularly closely and it’s shaping up to be close race.

To view images in gallery format, simply click on one of the images below.