Citizens opposed to police

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by John Edmonds

Citizens Opposed to Police Brutality (COPB) members got a rude jolt when they read their morning papers on Wednesday April 12. La Presse reported that Alexandre Paradis, accused of threatening to blow up a police station, was a member of the activist group. "We're in a state of shock," said longtime member Bernard Cooper. "We don't know who this guy is."

The 20-year old Paradis called 911 on Monday April 11, saying he would place a bomb in a police station, according to MUC Police. He was nabbed on the street a few hours later. After being released following his hearing, Paradis was immediately re-arrested on drug charges.

Last Monday another COPB spokesperson Bernard Larue (not his real name) said "some of the members said they did recognize him from demonstrations, but he was not a core member." Larue said that the group should not be judged on the basis of Paradis' behaviour, as COPB is loosely knit, and anyone can join a demo. "We don't give out identity cards," said Larue.

MUC Police Commander André Durocher refused to answer a question regarding whether or not the police have received similar threats in the past from people claiming to be from COPB. On March 15, rioters at a COPB protest smashed windows at MUC Police station 19 in the McGill ghetto. :

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