Violence at May 1 anti-capitalist Montreal protest

The annual May Day march in Montreal turned violent, with demonstrators smashing the windows of businesses, setting off smoke bombs, and fighting with police. 

Mayor, MPs Condemn Violent May Day Demonstration in Montreal | Epoch Times | Chandra Philip:

May 2, 2024 - "Local and federal politicians are condemning the actions of protestors after the annual May Day march in Montreal turned violent, with demonstrators smashing windows of businesses and setting off smoke bombs. Thousands of people turned out to the International Workers Day or May Day march at Francois-Perrault Park near the Saint-Michel metro station on May 1, according to reports. The event was organized by a coalition of unions and community organizations under the umbrella group May 1 Montreal Coalition. 

"Videos circulating on social media show protestors in black masks and hoods smashing windows and throwing parking cones and other items. Montreal police said officers had to step in to disperse the crowd. 'Due to several offenses committed during [demonstrations], we are carrying out a dispersal operation in the Sherbrooke/Robert-Bourassa sector. People must leave the premises immediately,' police said in a post on X. 

"Smoke bombs, parking cones, trash cans, and signs were thrown about by demonstrators, according to a TVA reporter, who also said officers were attacked and pepper spray was used.

"The Epoch Times contacted the May 1 Montreal Coalition and Montreal police for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

"Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante condemned the protesters’ behaviour in a post on social media. 'These actions are absolutely unacceptable,' she said in a May 2 post on social media. 'I denounce the mayhem suffered by downtown merchants last night during the anti-capitalist demonstration'.... 

"This year’s theme for the protest event was ‘united to make our voices heard,’ according to a press release from the coalition. The release said there were concerns that needed to be handled collectively, including climate change, working conditions of temporary foreign workers, 'antidemocratic abuses' by Quebec Premier François Legault, and an out-of-touch government."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/mayor-mps-condemn-violent-may-day-riots-in-montreal-5642391

Montreal annual may day protest 2024 | Montreal’s interesthings | May 4, 2024:

Canadians want to keep working from home

It's not just the federal government employees; more than a third of Canadians working from home do not want to return to the job site.

Canadian employers facing battle to bring workers back into the office } Western Standard - Shay Bottomley:

April 22, 2023 - "Canadian employers continue to face an uphill battle to get employees back into the office, according to a new study by the Angus Reid Institute. The research from the non-profit institute comes after the federal government recently announced a mandatory return to the office for all public servants.

"Among those who currently work from home at least some of the time, which comprises three-quarters of those surveyed, 36% said they’d return to the office full-time with no issues if they were asked to do so. However, a similar proportion (31%) said they would return, but consider switching jobs, with 21% likely to hand their notice in should they be ordered back into the office.

"Remote working may have initially been seen as a temporary measure at the beginning of the pandemic, but millions remain working from home, at least temporarily, three years on.

"Only half [of] those who work from home said they enjoy either good or great connections to their colleagues, compared to 84% of on-site employees. Nevertheless, 81% of remote workers provided a positive response when questioned on their work-life balance, compared to just 54% of those who work on location. Importantly, neither work arrangement appears to be more advantageous in terms of productivity, with nearly the same proportion of on-site workers (77%) saying they are as productive as remote workers (81%).

"The data will not make decisions easy for employers whether to order their staff back into the office in Canada’s employee-favoured labour market.

"The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Feb. 9-12, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 1,622 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/canadian-employers-facing-battle-to-bring-workers-back-into-the-office/article_5762e170-dd4a-11ed-89a0-2f8b0178b67c.html

"Companies forcing return to office a dealbreaker for some, survey suggests," CBC News, March 23, 2022: