Profiling goes to court

Last December, three 15-year-old boys, two white and one black, were approached by police in Outremont. The police ignored the two white boys and only searched the black kid. No charges were laid, but the boy and his mother are charging the police. They - along with four other plaintiffs in separate incidents - are seeking $20,000 to $30,000 in compensation as victims of racial profiling.

The anti-profiling effort is being spearheaded by the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), which has brought the cases to the provincial Human Rights Tribunal. Fo Niemi, CRARR’s executive director, says that the aim is to force institutions to write formal policies regarding their racial profiling practices.

“We’ve asked the Human Rights Commission and the courts to impose, as a corrective measure, the obligation to write a policy and system to deal with these events,” he says. Among Niemi’s frustrations is the Societé de transport de Montréal’s refusal to record the ethnicity of those they bring to municipal court, making it harder to determine whether transit cops are cracking down on visible minorities. Furthermore, when transit arrests are made, “even on small bylaw infractions, your name is entered into the database. The next time you face the police, what you were accused of by the transit authority pops up on their databank. That’s how many get sucked into the justice system,” says Niemi.

Niemi invites anybody who feels unfairly harassed by authority officials to seek redress through CRARR’s office by calling 939-3342. : » Kristian Gravenor

Empire stricken back

Shut the U.S. down for business? That’s a pretty weighty task, but that’s what a new Montreal group is aiming to do tomorrow, Feb. 21. Block the Empire, which calls itself a “non-violent creative-action to block the business of war,” is calling on people opposed to U.S. aggression on Iraq to block access to the American consulate on the corner of René-Lévesque and St-Alexandre. Its goal, partly, is to demonstrate that although marching season may be done for now, there are still ways the average person can voice their opposition to Bush and Co.’s war plans.

“The march was a popular thing for people to build on,” says activist and Block the Empire organizer Scott Weinstein. “There’s also talk of sending a delegation in to demand that the U.S. rescind its march to war.”

Blockade time is 7 a.m., before business hours. When it ends is anyone’s guess. “We’ll be there as long as people can stay,” says peace activist Mary Foster, recently returned from her high-profile trip to Baghdad. She notes that last week, a similar action in front of the Department of National Defence in Ottawa blocked access for six hours. “The point we’re making is that many people feel that it’s necessary to get in the way of things.”

The duration of the demonstration is fluid, so it’s best to arrive early. : » Patrick Lejtenyi

Recovery struggles

Anyone who’s had a friend or family member suffer from mental illness knows that the disease affects many more people than the afflicted. That’s why the Alliance for the Mentally Ill Inc. - better known as the education- and support-oriented community organization AMI-Québec - will be hosting a panel discussion on Monday, Feb. 24 to discuss the challenges of recovery and the process of reclaiming lives damaged by disorder.

“Someone will be talking about going back to work after recovering, another about reclaiming lost family and friendship relationships and another about the process of recovery,” says AMI-Québec administrative assistant Ayala Conway. “The talk is not just for the mentally ill, it’s also for family members. Hopefully it will enlighten family members and let them feel hope for their loved ones. And for the [victims of mental illness], yes, it is a struggle and yes, there are setbacks, but there are resources available to them.” There will be a question-and-answer period following the discussions.

The event, featuring four panelists and entitled “The Road to Recovery: Stories of Struggle and Hope,” will be in English. It takes place at the Jewish General’s Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry (4333 Côte Ste-Catherine) at 7:30 p.m., and it’s free. For more information on the talk, or about mental illness in general, visit www.amiquebec.org or call 486-1448. : » Patrick Lejtenyi

Angel >> Guaranteed Pure Milk Bottle’s official reprieve After years of questions and debate, word has finally come down that the 32-foot-tall, six-tonne water tower will be saved from construction doom after all. The Cité du commerce électronique, the owner of 1025 Lucien-L’Allier, atop of which the bottle stands, received the city’s go-ahead to proceed with bulldozing plans on two conditions: that the building’s façade be preserved, and that the 70-plus-year-old Milk Bottle be kept. While construction isn’t slated for some time, it is a relief to know that the odd landmark will remain.
Insect >> Montreal’s ancient plumbing In the last four weeks, water mains have burst across the city. It’s annoying, wasteful, dangerous and guess what - repairing and replacing the ageing water and sewage infrastructure is going to cost at least $6-billion over the next 20 years, and maybe up to $10-billion. Most of the money is supposed to come from Quebec City and Ottawa, but city taxpayers may be asked to pick up any difference. Repairs are needed, and fast: at least 15 per cent of the sewer system needs work, and two-thirds of the water system’s pipes need replacing, leaking as they do a staggering 40 per cent of our drinking water directly into the ground.