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Mutassim Gaddafi reportedly captured
Police arrested Muammar Gaddafi’s son Mutassim in Libya yesterday.
He was detained in Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte.
Libya’s National Transitional Council said they are holding him in Benghazi.
Fighters in Sirte reportedly celebrated the news of his arrest.
And Tripoli was awash with honking car horns and guns firing into the sky.
But military spokesmen have not yet confirmed the arrest. The NTC previously claimed it captured another of Gaddafi’s son in August. This turned out to be false and he remains at large. So observers have doubts over the veracity of today’s claim.
Mutassim was his father’s national security adviser. He wielded significantly less power than his older brothers, however. But citizens loathed Mutassim for his role in Gaddafi’s dictatorship.
Neither Gaddafi nor any of his wanted sons have been confirmed killed or captured to date.
Felix Von Geyer speaks for rights
The Concordia chapter of journalists for human rights hosted its second Speak4Rights event this Tuesday. It featured Felix von Geyer, a Concordia professor and sustainable development journalist. Luciana Gravotta reports.
Felix von Geyer attracted an audience of around 50 people that packed the small upstairs room of the Bishop street Burritoville.
With a Socratic flair, Von Geyer’s talk encouraged the audience not just to listen but to think.
He questioned the outcome of human dominance over the environment.
“It seems to me that on an environmental basis we’re actually managing to master the planet, master our destiny, and somehow screw it all up.”
And he poked fun at politician’s framing of the global warming crisis.
"When Stephen Harper says carbon is a tool for life, the key to life, why don’t you put him in a room with 10% carbon dioxide and see what happens.”
Mostly, von Geyer talked about how frail the concept of human rights is without a sense of duty to enforce it.
He says duty creates a link between environmental responsibility and human rights. A sense of duty towards the environment will bleed over to human rights. The dominant perspective needs to change. People, like the environment, are not a utility.
The event’s casual forum concept encouraged participants to stay after the Q&A to continue the conversation. Von Geyer stayed until the very end, beer in hand.
The next Speak4Rights event will be held November 22nd.
For CJLO news, I’m Luciana Gravotta
No conflict, no controversy, as CSU Council passes all motions at meeting
No controversy this time at Concordia’s second Student Council meeting of the year.
All the by-law reforms proposed were passed. And students at large were elected to standing committees.
Wednesday’s meeting featured a presentation by a member of Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy, which earned support for the creation of an official CSU policy on gender equity. A directory for those affected by sexual assault will also be composed.
In a political move, the CSU voted in favour of officially supporting the protests on Wall Street. They will try to convince students to protest here in Montreal starting October fifteenth.
To learn more about the by-laws and documents from the meeting go to csu.qc.ca.
Photo by: Joel Balsam
Concordia Mob Squad takes aim at Quebec government
The battle over university tuition fees is heating up just two months ahead of the provincial annual budget announcement. Students from Concordia University protested outside the Ministry of Education on Thursday.
This is part of a province-wide movement demanding a tuition freeze. But the Quebec government shows no signs of letting up. They plan to raise tuition one thousand six hundred and twenty five dollars for Quebec residents.
Students at one university in particular aren’t quite ready to empty their pockets. Joel Balsam takes a closer look.
The Concordia Mob Squad aims to convince students to get active – even if that means getting out of their comfort zone. Ada Doucet is one of the group’s organizers. She hasn’t ruled out any type of action if it will help freeze tuition.
“We have the power to say no, we have the power for the government to hear our voice and I’m going to use that power.”
Quebecers already pay the lowest tuition fees in the country. The government wants to raise the price tag to keep its universities competitive.
Finance Minister Raymond Bachand says its time for students to start footing the bill.
“In 1968 the students paid 26 percent of the cost of universities, today they pay 13 percent. Who pays the difference? It’s the taxpayer.”
But a report by the Federation Etudiante Universitaire du Quebec questions where the extra money will be spent. And if a hike is nothing more than a government cash grab. The report estimates that if the hike goes through, thirteen thousand students will not be able to attend university next year.
Doucet might be one of them.
“It will effect me, I’d be considering what to do. Really, I’d be like should I take a semester off just to work and pay for the next semester? I don’t know, I have no idea, but they better not do it, they better not do it.”
Not so different for Chad Walcott. Even as a local Quebecer he may have to think twice about going to school if tuition continues to rise.
As VP External of the Concordia Student union and one of the coordinators of the Mob Squad, Walcott is at the forefront of student activism against tuition hikes. He is prepared to do whatever it takes.
Walcott lead Thursday’s protest at the Ministry of Education.
He plans to bring five thousand Concordia students to a province-wide protest on November 10th and battle for every last buck.
“This tuition hike won’t go through, it won’t pass and we’re not gonna let it. Failure is not an option.”
As the deadline fast approaches with both sides not bending, don’t expect these students to turn down the noise.
Joel Balsam, CJLO News, Montreal.
Photo by: Joel Balsam
Air Canada strike cancelled
The union representing nearly seven thousand Air Canada flight attendants says it has cancelled its planned strike for Thursday. The Canada Industrial Relations Board said employees have to remain on the job while the contract dispute is being reviewed.
The Board said in a statement that they had to determine if services needed maintaining for the safety of the public. They said a section in the Canadian Labour Code forbids a strike or lockout until a decision is made.
The flight attendants served a three-day strike over the weekend. This was caused by sixty-five per cent of votes cast against the latest tentative for a collective agreement. This is the second time in recent months that they have turned down a tentative deal with the airline.
Since Parliament is only resuming sitting on the seventeenth, a strike could last a few days before legislation goes into effect.
Prisoner swap sparks celebrations
The family of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit rejoiced news that he’ll return home. Shalit spent 5 years as a prisoner of war. He was captured when he was 19.
People in Gaza City also celebrated the news. The release is part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Palestine. Over a thousand Palestinians will also be freed.
The agreement was reached after an intense week of talks. Hamas leader Khaled Mashal called it a victory.
Critics in Israel say it sends a message that abducting soldiers is an effective strategy. Israel is holding over fifty-five hundred Palestinians in its jails.
Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners - Click Here
The Flatliners will be at The Underworld this Friday with Living With Lions, Broadway Calls & The Arteries. Chris Cresswell (vocals and guitar) of The Flatliners took some time to give Victoria and Evan a call on their newly renamed show; The Spirit of Punk.
Mates of State + Suckers + Yawn @ Il Motore
Yawn is a (sadly) underrated band from Chicago, IL that set the bar high for the rest of the night at Il Motore. “Kind of Guy,” from Yawn's self-titled EP (2010), was even better live than recorded, and it becomes obvious why it’s their biggest hit. With looped vocals over Beach Boys-like humming and Animal Collective-like percussion, this is a band you don’t want to miss live.
Bringing the noise from Brooklyn, NY, Suckers were next on stage, and were the highlight of the evening. “Black Sheep,” from their album Wild Smile (2010), opened with hard drum kicks that became even harder and sweeter during the breakdown. During “Martha” the horns came in to literally blow you away. They closed their set with “It Gets Your Body Movin',” which essentially ended up getting everybody’s bodies moving. The vocals, horns, and drums during the build-up leave you on your tippy-toes wanting it to happen again and again. Suckers have a lot of passion and stage presence and it showed that night. It’s apparent that they really love what they do. I haven’t seen live music like that in a while, and you probably haven’t either.
Last (and least), was indie-pop duo Mates of State. They transformed the venue into what seemed like a “ladies only” bar. The audience consisted of cute couples, and when the music started the girls all got together in front of the stage while screaming the lyrics and dancing like pigeons. I was stuck in a chick-flick horror film. I have to admit, they did get me singing along and acting girly to their hit “Get Better” from 2008’s Re-Arrange Us. If only the rest of the show was as cool as that music video. Gardner’s vocals were very strong, dominant, and beautiful, but that’s just about the only thing that sounded beautiful coming from the stage. I managed to jot in my notebook, “this is what hell sounds like” after what was probably the five-hundredth time they sang “whoa, whoa, whoa”.
-Eileen English
Pop Montreal: Les Sexareenos @ Eglise Saint-Edouard
Pop Montreal, where have you been all my life? Or maybe it's better to ask myself why I haven't taken advantage of all the great shows that this concert series continuously offers year in and year out. It is not like I haven't known about them. I have always supported the record sales, the kid's Pop activities, and the annual BBQ held at Pop Montreal headquarters, yet, until this year, I had never seen any of the thousands of mind blowing shows offered by this the little festival that could. From what I saw this year, the tomfoolery ends right now, 'cause I'm a believer!
Speaking of tomfoolery, local legends Les Sexareenos headlined a show on Saturday, September 24th at the Eglise POP Little Burgundy (Eglise Saint-Edouard, corner of St. Denis and Beaubien). This was just within stumbling distance from my apartment, and expectations ran high for an all-out, balls-to-the-walls, crazy classic garage rock concert. The kids were put to bed, my better half stayed home to make sure that one of us acted like a responsible parent, and I was trying on various lamp shades around the apartment to see which one would stay on best while dancing like a fool.
This is the first time in over seven years that Les Sexareenos have played a live show together. Les Sexareenos where born out of another legendary Montreal garage rock outfit, the Spaceshits. The Spaceshits were literally blacklisted from performing in Montreal due to their ridiculous and crazy live shows, and they disbanded after a European tour in 1999. At that time, band members Choyce, Colonel Lingus (Skid Marks), and Blortz (Mark Sultan) were joined by "Work With Me" Annie on Farfisa and a new group was formed. The name Les Sexareenos came from a 1960's teen pulp novel, The Sex-a-Reenos, written by legendary rock'n'roller Ron Haydock. They played and toured extensively until the early 2000's.
By the time Les Sexareenos took to the stage, the venue had filled up nicely and the temperature shot up by 20 degrees. Although flying beer was constant throughout the show, and the small but dedicated crowd surfers ruled the front of the stage, the show never really hit a fever pitch. Instead we were treated to a good, solid show of classic garage rock. The set started off with "Watcha Gonna Do" and chugged along at a brisk pace. The major highlight for me was hearing "Everybody Sexareeno" and the frenzied dancing that ensued as a result. As good as the show was, I couldn't help thinking how this would have went down some eight or nine years ago with a venue appropriate to the number of people in attendance. That being said, Montreal has a host of top shelf garage bands that really know how to play this genre well and I was happy to see a band that helped shape the sound.
-Kevin Gascoigne
October 12, 2011
Read by Emily Brass
Produced by Nikita Smith
Stories by Lindsay Briscoe, Alexa Fay, Emily Brass, Sarah Moore, and Amrit Sanger
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