CLAC Logement Tells Michel Servant of the Quai des Eclusiers: Go Away!

Police in Riot Gear Defend Condo Sales Office

Montreal, December 16, 2002 -- Police in riot gear lined up in front of the Quai des Eclusiers real-estate office in St-Henri this afternoon. They were called to push anti-gentrification protesters off the site.

CLAC Logement and other residents of the neighborhood occupied the office this afternoon, while waiting for a meeting with Michel Servant, the real-estate developer responsible for the development project that will install 450 units of luxury condos and complementary yuppies in St-Henri.

Today's protest brought to an end a four day long "constant-presence" organized by CLAC Logement outside the Quai des Eclusiers office at 259 Greene Avenue. Activists, members of community groups and neighborhood residents angered and worried by rising rents and repossessions gathered outside the offices during business hours to discourage potential buyers from entering.

Throughout the four days of presence, people shared meals and coffee provided by community residents and supporters, while a sound-system provided the background for spontaneous bouts of karaoke. Each morning, activists hung a large red banner that read "Ecoutez les résidents du quartier: Non aux Condos" over the immense billboard advertising the development project. On Friday night, they replaced the banner with a giant white screen, on which members of the Les Lucioles film collective projected videos.

On Monday, CLAC Logement went to the offices having explicitly announced our intention to confront Michel Servant. Developing condos for profit, while contributing to skyrocketing rents in a traditionally poor and working class area is a murderous act. Displacing poor people, and making it that much harder for low-income people to find housing, or pay for heat and food on top of their rent costs is always reprehensible, but is even more so in the middle of a housing crisis.

Upon our arrival at the offices, we were told by a police officer and a receptionist that Servant wanted to meet with two representatives at 2 PM. CLAC Logement has no interest in negotiating politely with any developer. Every person who showed up today came to the offices with one thing to tell Servant: Pull out of the project, because poor people in this neighborhood don't want your condos here! At 1:30 PM, about twenty angry people left the bitter cold outside and entered the condo office to wait for Servant.

People had an opportunity to examine the model kayak and price lists hanging on the office walls. Police followed protesters into the building and called for backup. A signed eviction order arrived by fax, but before the receptionist could read it, protesters presented her with a notice evicting the Quai des Eclusiers from the area. Eventually, protesters were roughly pushed out of the office by cops, who then locked themselves inside the building with the sales people.

At 2:15 PM, Michel Servant appeared, escorted by 18 cops in riot gear. The entire group of protesters went to greet him. Servant motioned, and police formed a line to "protect" him. Police then used their shields and batons to move protesters off the office property and into the small park in front of the area. Chales Veilleux, political attache to St-Henri Councillor Line Hamel stood by watching.

Today's events illustrate with painful clarity that capitalists like Servant are able to use the police as private armies to protect their profit margins.

Servant might be able to use cops to protect himself from the anger of South-West residents, and to facilitate the displacement of poor people for the sake of profit. He should know, however, that resistance to the Quai des Eclusiers project and to the gentrification of the neighborhood will take more than a few riot cops to put down. The Quai des Eclusiers and other luxury real-estate offices in the South-West can expect visits from CLAC Logement over the coming months.