One of the best parts of casseroling happens near the beginning

Most nights when we arrive at St-Denis and Jarry, if it’s close to 8pm, people are marching back and forth in crosswalks, with the light. This goes on for some time as the crowd builds up. And then, in a manner I can’t quite fathom, we take the intersection. People just walk right in and shut down traffic. It doesn’t seem overly planned or managed. It just..kind of..happens. Very simple, very profound.

Then the police do what they can to steer traffic away until the march begins down St-Denis toward the Petit Patrie. The march is great too, of course, but in a different way, depending on the night. The first night we marched in the neighbourhood it was a surprise. Now it’s more of, well, a delight.

Last night’s march was, of course, smaller because of the rain. And rather than heading south the whole way, it turned in the Petit Patrie and went into Little Italy. When we broke off it was headed for Park Ex.