Members and allies of the RAPLIQ gathered yesterday in front of the inaccessible pub where Mr. Richard Bergeron, head of Projet Montréal, gave a conference on the development of a new urban planning plan for Montreal. We were present (on the sidewalk!) From 5.30 p.m. to welcome the organizers, participants and the main interested party, leaflets in hand, with our super banner and our extraordinary camerawoman…
A Project Montreal activist quickly came to meet us to do his mea culpa while maintaining that it was impossible to cancel the meeting. On the Facebook page of the event, the activist in question had written a few hours before the conference: ‘No one would gain if the event was canceled, as was asked elsewhere. We have no way of reaching the people who decided to go there tonight. You don’t fix one injustice with another. ‘
One injustice is not repaired by another. – Activist from Project Montréal
The RAPLIQ rejects this view of the problem! The comparison of the activist in question is very awkward. We do not believe that canceling the event (by postponing it) because people cannot participate due to architectural obstacles and organizational confusion is unfair! The solution proposed by RAPLIQ was one aimed (precisely!) At restoring some justice!
And what about people with reduced mobility could have come to the meeting not knowing that the chosen place was inaccessible! At no time did Projet Montréal communicate this important information (note that Projet Montréal has members with reduced mobility !!).
Around 6:40 p.m., Mr. Bergeron arrived. When he saw us, he seemed surprised. He apologized and promised us that a similar meeting would take place in less than two weeks (we were first offered to organize another in winter 2011). He also told us that he would make sure to communicate and interact with us during the conference. We have given a letter to Mr. Bergeron, who asked him to guarantee that all future Project Montreal activities are accessible. We also asked him to educate his activists !! After a brief discussion, we let Mr. Bergeron continue on his way, disappointed to find that we would attend the conference directly from the sidewalk.
We are then directed to a door adjacent to the conference which was open. This door was perched at the top of a staircase of more than a dozen steps. Unfortunately it was impossible for us to hear anything! We then started our own alternative conference. Several people told of life experiences related to adequate and / or inadequate urban planning. After a few minutes, the door connecting us a little bit with Mr. Bergeron closed. We then returned to the main entrance. We then cheerfully chanted ‘Accessible Montreal, it’s possible!’, ‘No to exclusion!’ and ‘Exclusion is not a project for Montreal!’, thanks to the help of experienced activists! Some of us ordered beer that could only be drunk on the patio. However, the said terrace was not accessible! Our happy activists therefore clinked on the sidewalk!
We stayed on the premises until the exit of Mr. Bergeron, who never came to speak to us during the conference as he had promised us! Mr. Bergeron explained to us that when he starts talking about town planning, he goes to another planet. So we asked him if his planet was accessible. To which he replied that his planet was very beautiful (so accessible!).
Projet Montréal will contact us regarding the holding of another conference by Mr. Bergeron in the next two weeks in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough. We hope you will be there and discover with us the planet of M. Bergeron!
This direct action is the first of its kind for RAPLIQ. Thank you to those who participated!
