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Queers were not exactly out in droves, although there were certainly LGBT people in abundance with members of groups like PolitiQ, No One Is Illegal, striking McGill University Non-Academic staff and Les Rebelles making for a lot of friendly faces. A fairly large cross-section of student groups, immigrant rights groups, and anti-capitalists mingled under the maples, while one group handed out food and boys with Guy Fawkes masks (popularized by the Wachowski brothers’ V for Vendetta 2006 film) strolled around the Square.

Notable absences included signs from the CSN, the Parti québécois, the NDP, and Québec solidaire, although members of those groups and parties were apparently present, including Amir Khadir. The political party and union  machines seem to have either decided to stay home and let the movement remain “grass roots”, or were afraid of associating themselves publicly with a socially critical event that had no obvious leader.

In general, the demonstrators were a snap-happy bunch, with numerous amateur photographers and traveling photo-project people stopping demonstrators and asking for their picture at almost any given moment. The former editorial coordinator at our sister magazine RG was present with his band of jolly Communists (they may need some help making catchier chants: nothing rhymes with “logement social”, unfortunately).

Out in full force were the media. With McGill Community radio station CKUT holding its own table and broadcasting live, and news vans from the CBC and TVA parked right in front of the Queen Victoria statue, there seemed to be more cameras than placards at one point. There were numerous signs that caught our gay attention, including this one, with its weather-appropriate golden shower:

"Trickle Down Economics" photo by Jacky Vallée

The up-beat vibe was underscored by several craftily made signs that referenced simpler times, with naïve, but beautiful anti-authoritarian messages:

Artist and Concordia University Professor Jessica MacCormack was present with art-maker karen spencer for an extension of MacCormack’s  Work Equals Worth Equals Innocence and spencer’s Dream Listener projects. She and spencer carried a sign that read “On est multiple à rêver de la révolution” – (we are many who dream of revolution).

http://workequalsworthequalsinnocence.wordpress.com

The demonstration was entirely peaceful, with fairly hands-off police presence. The half dozen police cars present were mostly concerned with blocking traffic on St Antoine Street so that demonstrators could easily walk back and forth from the Victoria statue to the larger part of the Square on McGill Collège. The assembled crowd swelled to well over 1,000 by 3pm, and progressed to a march along Ste Catherine Street by the end of the day. Demonstrators said they intended to stay in the park overnight in pitched tents, something which police have said would be met with the strictest application of the law.

“We hope that people are there… to protest in a peaceful demonstration, and that won’t be a problem at all,” SPVM Sergeant Ian Lafreniere told CTV News. “But if someone is there to commit something criminal, we won’t be patient with that and that is not welcome at all.”

By 11pm on Oct 15, the No One Is Illegal “Décolonisons Montréal” Facebook group page was reporting that the group was staying put in their tent pitched behind the Queen Victoria statue in what they have renamed the “Place du Peuple” (People’s Square). The group has adamantly distinguished themselves from the “Occupy” language which they view as erasing of First Nations’ experience of occupation, in favour of a broader call to “decolonize” Montréal.

Barb, a member of Occupons Montréal/Occupy Montreal told 2Bmag that “We are the 99%” believes that there were nearly 5000 people present, and stresses that the absence of “institutionalized” political and social organizations was “for the better.” You can check out videos and info on their daily general assemblies at occupymontreal.tk

Most of the protesters seemed united by the same wave of discontent with the financial status quo, along with a surge of optimism that has been rippling across the globe since Occupy Wall Street began one month ago in Manhattan. Numerous copy-cat demonstrations have take place the world over, including one in Rome yesterday that resulted in police firing tear-gas into the crowd gathered near the Colosseum. Unlike the Montréal demonstration, the Rome event had devolved into smashing windows and bank ATMs, setting trash bins on fire and “assaulted at least two news crews from Sky Italia,” according to ABC News. By midday, the Rome protest was being referred to as a “riot”.

But here in Montréal, the chanting was well-behaved, the signage witty and ideological, and the faces smiling, often behind cameras. Contributor Michael Hawrysh was in attendance, along with Être correspondant Bruno Dion, who took some photos of the event (see banner and below). The highlight of the day for this homo was definitely getting to meet Margie Gillis, our long-time hero and supporter of AIDS charities and the arts. “It’s great to get out and feel it,” the famous choreographer said, as we looked around smiling in the rain.

Wealth...as Crime Against Humanity Bruno Dion Mike Hawrysh

Whether Occupy Montréal was a flash in the pan, yesterday’s newsfeed, or the start of something bigger, there are sure to be queer stories and reactions to report on from this phenomenon. If our town’s version was tame and somewhat underattended, it may have been about more than the weather. Two European nationals who were observing the demo around us wondered aloud why people weren’t angrier, and why there weren’t more of them. Eternal questions, really.