This weekend was a war zone. I felt like I was in the middle of civil war and urban warfare. I treated so many burned hands, from people who wore thick gloves to throw tear gas canisters back at the cops or away from the crowd, yet got their hands burned. I saw third degree burns. I flushed hundreds of eyes with water and sometimes with LAW liquid antacid mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio. When we were safely away from gas, I did MOFIBA skin decontamination treatments (mineral oil followed immediately by alcohol)to take away the pain. I treated so many injuries from people hit by teargas canisters and also those hit by rubber or plastic bullets. I saw back injuries, head injuries, broken fingers, leg wounds, and so much more.

On Friday night we ended up under siege in our medical clinic as the cops advanced down Cote D'Abraham, firing rounds and rounds of tear gas. The air was so contaminated that we had to breathe through our vinegar-soaked bandannas INSIDE the clinic. We had all the lights out and were speaking in whispers. It was so scary. I thought we were for sure going to be arrested. Finally we managed to evacuate down the stairs outside, and get away.

On Saturday night it was a different story. I wasn't there, I was at Ilot Fleurie under the highway, in the middle of the big party. But I heard from many medics who were there, and here's the story: The cops advanced down Cote D'Abraham, shooting tear gas like crazy and shooting rubber bullets down alleys and driveways. When they reached the clinic they marched everyone who was in the alley (the decontamination space) out at gunpoint. This included many medics and their patients, even seriously injured ones. The cops forcibly removed all the protective gear from everyone, including gas masks, vinegar bandannas and any goggles, saying "No more protection for you guys!".

They also took all the medical supplies and equipment that was in the alley or being carried by the medics. They then marched them, hands in the air and at gunpoint, out into the gas. They made them walk one way, then changed their minds and marched them another direction. My friend Sean said that one guy next to him was hit in the head with a rubber bullet, and the cops wouldn't allow him to stop and treat the person.

Finally they let the group go, without any arrests. Needless to say, the clinic was evacuated and set up in a different location. Other injuries I heard about from medics were: Derek and his partner treated a guy who was severely beaten by police. He had a skull fracture, was in serious shock and had a compound leg fracture that made it almost severed.

They waited in clouds of tear gas, with more and more canisters being hurled at them, for the ambulance. Another medic treated a guy whose finger was cut off as he tried to scale the wall. One girl's shoulder was dislocated. I treated a guy who got hit in the back with a tear gas canister. One guy got hit in the Adam's Apple with a rubber bullet and underwent an emergency tracheotomy.

My teammate Leigh had a serious asthma attack in the clouds. There were many victims of beatings at the hands of police serious injuries from police batons. One guy had his earring ripped straight out of his ear by a riot cop.

There were so many more, I just can't remember them all. And the funniest thing is, the mainstream media (i.e. the Montreal Gazette) reported only 300 injuries total hahaha that's laughable, since I must have treated that many MYSELF!!! And there were probably 50 medics treatingthat many injuries each!