Disorder and Public Spaces in Montreal: Repression (And Resistance) Through Law, Politics, and Police Discretion

This study shows that the control of disorder in Montreal, Canada, and its consequences for the occupation of public spaces by the homeless, are neither directly dictated by the law nor rely only on the law as a source of legitimacy and authority. They also depend on other forms of expression of state power expressed through local policies, architectural changes, political demands, police discretion, and policing practices, which in turn have connections to the law. This combination of factors sheds light on the multiple sites of law and repression, and opens new possibilities for ensuring homeless people’s rights and for resistance.