Dario Ayala/THE GAZETTE
Photograph by: Dario Ayala , The Gazette
May Day, also known as International Workers Day, can be traced back more than 120 years to a held in Chicago on May 4, 1886. The protesters were demanding an eight-hour workday and were initially peaceful, but the event culminated in a bombing and police gunfire. Seven police officers and at least four civilians died. Dozens of others were wounded.
The modern May Day holiday isn’t widely observed in North America, but many labour organizations still mark the occasion with street protests and demands for better working conditions. In Montreal, observance of May Day dates to the early 1900s, and the tradition underwent something of a renaissance during a major strike in 1972. May Day marches have been a regular occurrence in the city ever since.
GROUPS PROTESTING THIS YEAR
The Montreal Anti-capitalist Convergence (CLAC) — Last year, the CLAC’s May Day event drew an estimated 500 demonstrators. Police quickly shut down the protest, however, stating that it was in violation of municipal bylaw P-6, which requires protest organizers to provide police with their route in advance. More than 300 people were arrested.
This year, the CLAC said its May Day demonstration will begin at 6 p.m. at de Lorimier Ave. and Ontario St., and finish at Place Ville Marie. No other route details have been provided, meaning the event could once again end in disarray.
“We are not organizing a confrontation,” CLAC spokesperson Catherine Tremblay said on Tuesday. The theme of the 2014 protest is “resistance to capitalism’s ravages, particularly those caused by extractive industries and the financial sector that supports them.”
Tremblay added that the CLAC protesters will not actively seek to merge with the protest organized by local labour organizations because the unions have moved too far away from a firmly anti-capitalist stance.
Labour organizations — Billed as a “celebration” rather than an angry protest, Montreal’s May 1 Coalition (made up of various unions, student organizations and community groups) has announced that its annual march will begin in front of the premier’s office on McGill College Ave. at 6:30 p.m. and end in Victoria Square.
“At a time when the new Liberal government led by Philippe Couillard has announced a new round of budget cuts in Quebec, the coalition invites the population to a celebration … with the theme ‘Against austerity measures, let’s fight back!’ ” read a release issued by organizers on Tuesday.
In advance of the march, representatives from the Coalition intersyndicale de Montréal métropolitain are scheduled to meet with municipal opposition leader Richard Bergeron at 10 a.m., and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre at 2:30 p.m.
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Russia stirring up trouble in the Ukraine. America takes measures aimed at changing Russia’s behaviour … “We don’t know if it’s going to work” (Barak Obama) — as he announces sanctions against Russia such as freezing Russian assets held in American banks.
In Egypt, after a trial lasting only a few minutes, 700 people were sentenced to death for demonstrating and taking other actions opposing the military dictatorship which controls that country. One of those sentenced to death is the head of Egypt’s Moslem Brotherhood, chronic opponents of the contemporary regime.
Medical pot is legal in 21 States and D.C.
Med-pot, given orally – no research finalised on the smoking pot to the same end – as helping symptoms of MS, especially pain. “I tried it as a last resort and it’s been a blessing”. The American Neurological (medical) Society has just yesterday come out in support of med-pot, when taken orally, as an effective treatment for symptoms associated with MS.
After 58 days, there’s still no sign of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which went down on March 8th with about 239 people on board. The air search was terminated yesterday due to the fact that experts seem to be of the opinion that any debris from the crash would have, by now, disappeared from the surface of the ocean. However, at the same time it was announced by Malaysian officials that the underwater search effort will be expanded.
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And last but not least, I remain convinced that regardless of the outcome of Thursday’s game, the Montreal Canadiens will school Boston in six games or less. Cammalleri or Bourque? Let me think for a min… Forget it! Bourque, Bourque, Bourque and Bourque. As for Michael C., fuck him.
Just to revisit my prediction of the Habs’ victory over the Bolts in round one … I said that Carey Price would come back from what wasn’t his best game by far in Game 1, which he did and that Habs would beat Tampa in five or six, max. Well that first series went only four games as the Canadiens swept away Tampa’s cup hopes.
So far in these playoffs, Carey is not in the top three in any of the following goalie stats: goals against average, save percentage and shut-outs. In wins, however, he now leads the goaltenders’ brotherhood with five play-off wins. He has also not lost a game yet this playoff year. Rask has now lost two games with Boston, as has the Penguins’ Fleury while the Rangers’ Henrik Henrik Henrik has lost three.
And speaking of goalies, Jaroslav Halak – remember him – and Price could make us forget all about a couple of years ago, when the Habs, eighth-place finishers during the regular season, ousted both Washington and Pittsburgh before being taken out in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference final due in large part to Halak’s play. Anyway Halak was sent to the New York Islanders on Thursday. The Islanders, by the way, are still paying goaltender Rocky DiPietro who has not played a game in the NHL for more than two years.
GO HABS.
All exhale … for now.
Thanks Subban, Price, Prust, Weaver, Weisz, Pacioretty, Desharnais, Markhov, Briere, and, last but not least, to the dirty Boston Bruins for surrendering home ice advantage with their loss on Thursday night … Again just for now.
Peace.
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