Last week on Forget The Box I wrote about how the mainstream media was ignoring the Occupy Wall Street protest pretty much across the board, just like how the state-controlled media in places like Egypt and Bahrain ignored the Arab Spring.

Now it seems they are reporting on it, now that 80 people have been arrested and others abused by the police for no good reason. Take this report from CNBC, for example. The commentary is bang-on and it should be spread around and seen by as many people as possible:

Now that you’ve digested some of that brilliance, ask yourself: why did it take a thug NYPD for major media to shine the spotlight on such an important subject?

I guess social movements are one thing that can be mentioned or ignored depending on how well connected and financed they or their opponents are, but violence sells regardless so if it bleeds, it leads.

Wow, feels like the last time I was writing in this space it was a year ago. Actually, wait, it was over a year ago. I was talking about the upcoming 2010 Montreal Infringement Festival. That went very well and then I went to Buffalo, that was incredible. I wrote about my experiences at this colossally amazing event on Forget The Box shortly after I got back.

Now, after yet another Montreal Infringement success (I wasn’t as heavily involved this year, but I did manage to get out to almost all the events), there’s another Buffalo fest that just got underway. By all indications, it’s going to be even bigger, while still remaining “under the radar” if you can believe it. I previewed the 2011 Buffalo Infringement Festival on FTB yesterday. Here’s an excerpt:

“These aren’t heavily-funded corporate artists, or artists creating work where potential market revenue trumps creativity and message. We’re talking musicians, actors, visual artists, hula hoop artists and more, doing what they love to do and doing it together for eleven days. It seems that once an artist catches the Buffalo Infringement bug, it’s hard to stay away. This year’s lineup features performers who have been part of the event from the very beginning…”

I think I’ve finally found a way to balance everything and find some time to this my personal blog on a much more regular basis, even with the huge growth over at FTB (number 3 on the Mirror’s Best of Montreal, several thousand visits every month, etc) that has been keeping me real busy.

We’ll see if it works, till then, do yourself a favour and check out the Buffalo Infringement if you can.

The new poster’s done, here it is:

2010 Montreal infringement poster (concept and artwork by Marcelo César, Alexandra Cuellar and Donovan King)

The schedule should be online at infringementfestival.com/montreal by Thursday.

It’s also almost that time of year when I disappear from all things infringement as I’ll be busy organizing, attending shows and even performing.  This year I’m going to try and do some reporting, at least on Forget The Box and maybe here too.  If I don’t get the chance, at least I’ve added the festival’s Twitter feed to the sidebar.

I did manage to write a post about the festival both here and internationally for Art Threat.  You can read it here.  You really should check out the rest of their site (Art Threat, that is) as there’s quite a few interesting articles about art and politics and it updates rather regularly.

Right now, I’m preparing for the infringement press conference scheduled for this Thursday.  Fun times ahead!

]]> http://www.jasoncmclean.com/lets-infringe-again/feed/ 0 http://www.jasoncmclean.com/im-back/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=im-back http://www.jasoncmclean.com/im-back/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:10:07 +0000 Jason http://www.jasoncmclean.com/?p=343

A beard doesn't mean I've been in the woods

You see, Forget The Box, the site whose online magazine I edit and contribute to has undergone a major revamp in terms of its backend (what you don’t see). A new look is also coming very soon.

There are new columnists and writers, such as a correspondent from Salt Spring Island, BC and a playoff hockey blogger. I’m also writing a political column now. As more people are coming on board, I’ve been busy setting things up for them.

I’ve also been working on and acting in the last two episodes of season 3 of JC Sunshine’s Fireside Chat (also produced by the Forget The Box Media Collective) and preparing for this June’s Montreal infringement Festival.

While things haven’t quieted down by a longshot, I’m now finding (or force-finding) a bit of time to contribute here as well. So fear not, dear readers, I’m back!

The system remains profit-driven...is this really what change looks like? (photo AP)

Yes, more Americans are covered and in a few years insurance companies won’t be able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions (something that is the very definition of wrong). Unfortunately, people in the states now have to sign up and pay an insurance company whether they want to or not and health insurance companies still exist, which is an abomination.

Health care is a community service and should be treated as such. In the states, people are treated like we treat our pets here. How much of a logical leap does it take to realize that healthcare is not a luxury like a cellphone or a car, but a need like water or

True, I did endorse passing this bill, but asked lawmakers in the US to take out anything that helps the insurance companies. I’m not the only one, Michael Moore and others urged the bill’s passing, while remaining against it in its current form.

Now, he’s come out very publicly talking about what’s wrong with the bill and I guess, with this post, I have, too. He can explain it better than me, though…

So, for coming one step closer to being in step with the rest of the civilized world, congrats to the USA, but since it’s half-assed and doesn’t change the fundamental flaw in the system, it’s gonna have to be congrats, sort of…

While admitting that drinking was a factor in the death, police spokesperson Paul Chablo told the media that officers would still be asked to use their discretion when dealing with people drinking at the parade. This is a good thing, because the St-Patrick’s parade is one of the few permitted (though technically not) street parties in Montreal. However, arguments against motorized floats did catch my attention.

This is not during the St-Patty's Parade (photo La Presse)

Around the time that the SPVM was taking a relaxed approach to St-Patty’s celebration, they were also preparing to go hardcore on protesters marching against police brutality. They even sent infiltrators and possibly agent provocateurs into the crowd.

I wrote about this on Forget the Box, but I mainly focused on bias in media coverage of the event (seeing as I wasn’t able to make it down to the march myself). I can only hope (in vain, I’m sure) that they adopt a St-Pattty’s-style approach in years to come.

That means removing agent provocateurs and infiltrators from the crowd and let the march progress, only using “discretion” if things organically get out of hand instead of through being provoked.

What’s good for Irish and wannabe-Irish revelers should be good for people exercising their democratic right to speak out against abuses by the police as well.

I had the pleasure of phrasing Forget The Box’s endorsement of Projet Montreal and mayoral candidate Richard Bergeron in the November 1st Montreal elections as well as OTL’s Reclaim The Main Challenge to all candidates in the same election.  I also covered theatre activist Reverend Billy Talen’s Green Party candidacy for mayor of New York City in my theatre column.

It makes sense.  When national and international politics seem dominated by the same ideologies and policies regardless of what kind of progressive face gets put on it, the only solution for progressives to get things changed politically is to focus locally.

Considering how important local-first is becoming in areas of food consumption and shopping, it only makes sense that a community-based approach to political revolution or at least political chage will work as well. Then, all the local revolts can join up and affect change around the world.

It’s nice to see that in Montreal, progressive candidates seem to really have a chance.  Projet Montreal has jumped in the polls lately and if voter turnout is over 30%, they very well make an impact or get into office.  They’re being taken more seriously by the press and taking part in debates, too.

Meanwhile in New York, the reverend’s campaign is doing well and could very well bring change to City Hall.  Unfrotunately, they have been cut out of the debates.

Since you can’t keep a good culture-jammer down, though, Billy showed up at the debates anyways and let his voice be heard, asking Mayor Bloomberg just what he was doing there.  You see, Bloomberg recently got the two-term limit removed, essentially legislating his chance to run a third time.

While Billy wasn’t invited to take part in the debates, Bloomberg really has no place being there, which is what the Reverend asked him in this clip…

The Angus Development Corporation wants to raize the block of St-Laurent between Ste-Catherine and Rene-Levesque and put in a giant skyscraper to serve as offices for Hydro-Quebec.

This isn’t just about buildings, though.  There are many emerging artists who perform regularly on the second-floor showspace of Cleopatra (it’s a strip club downstairs).  Since this project is done as part of the Quartier des Spectacles (show quarter), it doesn’t make any sense to evict three performance spaces (Cleo, the Les Saints showbar and the Katacombes punk club) for an office building.

That’s what the Office de Consultation Publique de Montreal ruled at the end of July after a series of meetings held last June.  They said the project needs to be re-evaluated and now it looks like it’s going to be.

My latest piece talks about how Angus has agreed to go back to the drawing board…and just in time for a show/party/rally scheduled for Friday.  Here’s an exerpt:

Just in time for the party: Angus to re-think its plans for the lower Main

The Angus Development Corporation stated Tuesday that it would be rethinking its plan to erect an office tower on the west side of St-Laurent Boulevard between Ste-Catherine and Rene-Levesque. This comes over a month after the Office de Consultation Publique de Montreal (OCPM) released its report urging more reflection and a better plan for redevelopment of the area. “The OCPM has unequivocally stated that this whole project has to go back to the drawing board,” said Velma Candyass (read more)