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QUEBEC Amir Khadir, the only Qu bec solidaire MNA in theNational Assembly, was one of 65 protesters who were handcuffed anddetained Tuesday night by Quebec City police for participating inan illegal demonstration. On Wednesday Khadir said the demonstration was an act of civildisobedience, like those of Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi. Absolutely, Khadir told reporters, then qualified thataffirmation, saying he doesn t compare himself to such leaders. But they are our models. On the scale of Quebec, for a question of tuition fees, agovernment that imposes this type of restriction on fundamentalliberties, it s just as serious, he said. When a reporter suggested comparing Quebec s tuition dispute withKing going to jail for the cause of racial equality or Gandhi snon-violent battle for India s independence, was a stretch or just downright insulting, Khadir agreed the situations were notcomparable, then spoke of Quebec union leaders going to prison inthe 1970s and Australian lawmakers defying Tasmania s anti-gaylaws, as cases when unjust laws were defied. Tuesday night, leaving the assembly on his bike, Khadir was drawnto the sound of people beating pots and pans, in the series ofnightly demonstrations against the Charest government s proposed$1,778 tuition increase and against Bill 78, the special lawsupposed to end the protests. Quebec City demonstrators sometimes give police their route andsometimes they don t. When they do, the police presence is minimal and few arrests aremade. When they don t, police encircle demonstrators, binding theirhands behind their backs with plastic handcuffs and loading them onbuses. Quebec City police have chosen not to enforce Bill 78, which callsfor a $1,000 fine for the first offence, instead they apply Section500.1 of Quebec s Highway Safety Code, which means those held arenot read their rights, just sent a $494 fine by mail for blockingtraffic. There are two weights, two measures, Khadir told reporters,saying while peaceful demonstrators are handcuffed, Liberalministers meeting Mafia figures for breakfast fundraisers andengineering consulting firms working around Quebec s partyfinancing law to contribute to Charest s Liberals, do not get thesame treatment. There is a government that is corrupt, a government that is underthe influence of a business elite that absolutely wants to protectthe interests of bankers, Khadir said, calling Bill 78, denouncedas a threat to fundamental rights by Quebec s human rightscommission and the Quebec Bar Association, an unjust law that noone accepts. I believe for a people, for an MNA, it is an honour to stand up,to not accept injustice and to accept the consequences, he added. Asked whether he would support Quebec s English speakers whoconsider Bill 101 rules limiting English on commercial signs to beunjust, Khadir said, I might not agree on that point. You cannot defy a law just because of your own personalinterest, Khadir said . It s only when you are doing something for the common good. Later in French he added that the language of signs is an issue of commercial rights, not fundamental rights, and is very, verysecondary. Reminded of the Supreme Court of Canada s 1988 ruling that Bill101 s French-only sign provisions did violate freedom ofexpression guarantees in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,Khadir said opinions vary on that but opposition to Bill 78 is unanimous. It isn t the same thing, he said. After the high court s 1988 decision, then-premier Robert Bourassaproposed Bill 178, using the notwithstanding clause to overriderights guarantees in the Canadian charter. This provokedunfavourable reaction across Canada and the resignation of threeanglophone ministers from his cabinet. Twitter.com @doughertykr. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as 1.2738 Steel , China Forged Tool Steel, and more. For more , please visit P20 Steel today!
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