Montreal Autonomous Tenant Union Marches on Housing Tribunal Against Evictions

Report from the Montreal Autonomous Tenant Union (MATU) on a recent march against ongoing threats of eviction.

With a strong crowd for an 8am start time, the Montreal Autonomous Tenant Union (MATU) moved through the streets to the Housing Tribunal, the administrative apparatus ordering hundreds of evictions every year. After some chants and an anti-capitalist Christmas carol, a handful of militants entered the tribunal, while others maintained a banner wall outside.

The union was prevented from entering all at once what are supposedly public audiences to witness the eviction proceedings. A conflict with the security and two police officers was resolved when only three union members were allowed to enter the hearing. The bias in the courtroom was clear on the part of the judge, and weighted towards the landlord. Once we got up to leave, security pushed us out of the lobby and the doors to the courthouse were locked behind us.

However, the landlord, Satish Mantha, and judge clearly got the message from the demonstration. Tenants are watching, and our union is not going to sit by idly and let an eviction take place.