Quote of the week

“It seems to be a message to the Rizzuto clan, and the message is: ‘The game is over.’” —Retired RCMP analyst Pierre de Champlain, on the disappearance of alleged mob boss Paolo Renda last week. At press time, Renda’s whereabouts were still unknown.

Free all posters!

Increasingly unable to promote their small-venue concerts without risking a hefty fine for their posters, a new coalition of artists, promoters, festival organizers and the like are asking City Hall for an amnesty on all postering-related fines until a mutually beneficial solution can be sorted out.

“Over the past two years, there have been way more fines than in the past,” says Pop Montreal’s Hilary Leftick. Last week, COLLE—la Coalition pour la libre expression—released an open letter along with some figures. According to the group, 109 postering cases are pending, with total fines levied reaching up to $215,000. And the 6,000 events that were promoted by posters last year brought in some $15-million in revenue.

But all is not black, Leftick says. She believes the city is genuinely interested in finding a solution, eventually. “The problem is the present,” she says.

She warns that not just live music shows are at risk. Anything from lost dog posters to garage sale signs are treated the same. But she adds that the law may be on their side, and pleading a Charter right to free expression may win a case. For more information on the coalition and your rights to poster, see collemontreal.org.

PATRICK LEJTENYI

Anarchic
reads, rocks

If you’ve been looking for new ways to alienate your parents, perhaps you might want to check out the Anarchist Book Fair. The 11th annual affair, taking place May 29–30 at the CEDA (2515 Delisle, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.), is “especially for people who are curious about anarchist ideas and practices and searching for alternative ways to reckon with social injustice,” states book fair club member Jaggi Singh.

“Among the many workshops and activities are an anarchists parents room with discussions on radical education with a kids program so children can participate and an indigenous solidarity room where we’ll be hearing from indigenous speakers who are out on the front lines,” says Singh. “We’ll be conveying anarchist ideas through music, art, literature, political organizing, parenting, child care and film throughout the entire weekend.”

The action kicks off with a cabaret/fundraiser on Friday, May 28 at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $5 voluntary contribution) where, among others, Dramat!K, Micros Armés and “anarchist marching band” Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble will be rocking up a storm. Admission for the book fair is free.

For more details, go to anarchistbookfair.ca.

CHRIS BARRY

Clothes
for clothes

Private clothing swaps have been happening for years, but the SWAP Team’s 17,861 swapped items are nothing to shake a skirt at. This Saturday at Musée Juste Pour Rire (2101 St-Laurent), attendees will be haggling over the non-price of clothing, exchanging “like new” or gently-worn threads in their first indoor event since they started in 2007. In a one-for-one trade, participants bring in duds and pick out their desired items off the rack.

The events have led to developing products from discarded items from past swapping events. Their handbag line made with recycled materials is set to launch this Saturday. “It got a lot bigger since last year,” says founder Aleece Germano. Germano’s been doing the SWAP events since 2007, with 9,633 items donated to charity and 548 bags of clothes donated to Salvation Army. “We have a social and environmental motivation. Those two things are the biggest motivators for people to participate in the event.”

All remaining clothing from the event will be donated to Salvation Army. Entry is $10 in advance and $30 for the designer labels-only room. The event starts at 2 p.m., with an 8 p.m. dance party with DJ Mini and DJ Robert de la Gauthier. More info at theswapteam.org.

LINA HARPER

Filipino vanishing

Though the elections that took place earlier this month in the Philippines were hailed as “smooth” by the U.S. and the European Union, human rights groups such as Amnesty International were troubled by faulty electronic voting machines, allegations of fraud, intimidation of voters by private armies and political killings that left at least five candidates and 16 campaign organizers dead.

“There’s a cloud of impunity which exists in the Philippines where progressives and activists are targeted by paramilitary groups and police,” says Joey Calugay of the Centre for Philippine Concerns.

To draw attention to the situation, a handful of Filipino organizations are screening Dukot (Disappeared), a political thriller that exposes disappearances and extra-judicial killings of activists in the country. The film’s controversial nature delayed its production as producers backed off from the project and the film board attempted to block the film’s release, says Calugay.

Screenwriter Boni Ilagan, himself a victim of political repression, will be in attendance along with the producer, the lead actor and another victim of torture, Filipino-American NGO-worker Melissa Roxas.

Dukot will be shown Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30 at 5 p.m. at Cinema du Parc (3575 Parc). For details, see cap-cpc.blogspot.com.

MATT JONES

Rear-view mirror

15 YEARS AGO - MAY 25–JUNE 1, 1995

On the cover: PJ Harvey, who may be embracing her feminine side. “I’ve mastered the art of not only walking in a dress but walking in six-inch heels,” she says.

• Four Mirror reporters dissect the Main by section: Ste-Catherine to Sherbrooke (“definitely low-brow. The main cross-street is named Ontario, after all”), Sherbrooke to Pine (“Everyone who comes to Montreal ends up being a tourist on the Main. On the Main you feel like a rube”), St-Joseph to St-Viateur (where inside the all-male Sauna 5018 “it’s survival of the fittest among the towel-outfitted pleasure-seekers”) and Jean-Talon (“it’s dive cité up there”).

• An ugly argument plays out on the Rant Line™ between “editor” Al South, just back from Bombay, and sub-editor Roger Argent. South calls Argent “an incompetent fuck,” Argent responds by calling South a “pisstank.”

• At Cannes, Joanne Latimer reports that Pamela Anderson, two hours late for her photo op promoting Barb Wire, “pulled up to the dock wearing a Wonderwoman suit, elbow-length gloves and high black boots.”

Angel >> Gay blood When gay men were barred from donating blood due to AIDS fears back in 1983, it was considered by and large a necessary if unpleasant measure to contain the AIDS-causing virus’s spread. Twenty-seven years later, however, it is time for a rethink, say a group of leading AIDS researchers based in Montreal. In an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal published this week, the authors argue that advances in HIV detection technology have just about eliminated false negative HIV results, and gay men—especially those in long-term monogamous relationships—are being unfairly discriminated against. The authors do say, however, that men who have multiple same-sex partners should not be allowed to give blood.

Insect >> Really expensive summits of dubious use Next month’s G8/G20 summits will be more than an opportunity for Canada to show off the wonders that are Ontario cottage country and downtown Toronto. They’re also good excuses to blow tons of dough on security—an estimated $833-million, to be precise, with the money split between the Mounties, the military, emergency preparedness and other uses. Since little gets accomplished at these gabfests anyway, other than useful riot control exercises, wouldn’t it be a better idea for all the countries to chip in to build a permanent Superman-like Fortress of Solitude in the depths of Antarctica that would hold all of these goofy summits in perpetuity, and leave us all alone?