The one per cent show the populace who’s boss
In a brilliant show of power, the one per cent gathered today and showed that they still have complete control over the protesters and austerity measures. The gathering for austerity measures that started Place Émilie-Gamelin dwarfed every other gathering it passed.
As the one per cent marched around the city streets, there were several other gatherings happening, including one at the MUHC, on the corner of St. Denis St. and René-Levesque Boul. Some 100 employees gathered in front of the building, holding speeches after a brief march. The employees organized a few concession stands to serve food and beverages and had several representatives from the MUHC, the student groups and the syndicate groups speak to the protesters.
Midway through the speeches, the one per cent showed up, brandishing their signs—some stating their love for the SPVM, others proclaiming that the students should stop protesting, and most urging the populace to accept the austerity measures. When the MUHC protesters saw that the opposing group was twice their size, they were left speechless. They stopped trying to get the one per cent to join their protest and simply let the opposing group go on their way.
As the one per cent marched down René-Levesque Boul., they kept chanting to go backwards while walking backwards. They also encouraged the police to join them, to use pepper spray and to even close a school to open a prison in its stead. They then doubled their chants, claiming that feminists, syndicates and leftists were at war with them and that they would war back.
Some marchers dressed in suits and ties, while others got to the level of the rest of the population, choosing a more casual appearance to show their solidarity to the austerity measures, and most likely to bring themselves to the level of the populace. They came dressed in some form of green apparel, along with green squares, to show opposition to the red square movement. And of course, the marchers respected every rule of the road, walking in the direction of traffic and stopping at red lights. There was police presence but overall the march went on peacefully.
Another protest was scheduled to occur at 1 p.m. on the same day, at Victoria Square. Only roughly fifty people showed up, rather than the 700 people who had confirmed they would attend on Facebook. The one per cent did not even need to go so far down to scare off the students and shake their resignation. Despite that, there was a large police presence, blocking the Quebecor and World Trade Centre buildings.
A very similar march was organized by the one per cent around the same time in 2012. Like in 2012, the one per cent has yet again shown that this is a glorious day for capitalism and that they have a firm grip on the protesters and the populace. At the end of the day, all marches ended peacefully with no police interventions.
