> QUEBEC (CP) -- The RCMP and other police forces hope that > what they are calling the largest security operation in > Canadian history will ensure Quebec City is as quiet as > possible this April. > > As many as 5,000 police officers might be on hand to prevent > the Summit of the Americas from being disrupted by the kind > of violence that rocked Seattle when it played host to > international trade talks in 1999. > > Some protest groups are already using the Internet to warn > of a showdown at the April 20-22 summit, which will feature > 34 heads of state, including Prime Minister Jean Chretien > and U.S. President George W. Bush. > > One New York City anti-globalization group, the Ya Basta > Collective, is encouraging protesters to bring self-defence > gear, including shields, padding and chemically resistant > suits. > > The Web site for Ya Basta (translated from Spanish as Enough > Already) urges "mass resistance" at the Canada-U.S. border > leading up to the summit. > > Some anarchists have also called for a complete shutdown of > the summit with the help of weapons like bricks and > incendiary bombs, say recent reports by the Canadian > Security Intelligence Service, the national spy agency. > > A local prison will be emptied to make room for unruly > demonstrators as the RCMP, Quebec provincial police and two > municipal forces brace for the arrival of thousands of > protesters. > > "We know there are people who cause trouble and incite the > crowd to rail against police, and it degenerates from > there," said provincial police spokesman Richard Gagne. > > "So we're preparing for that as a result. Our mandate is to > maintain peace, order and respect for the law -- and we'll > do what we must do to fulfil our mandate." > > That includes requiring thousands of residents and merchants > to show special passes to reach their homes and businesses > through a giant barricade to be placed around neighbourhoods > where the meetings will take place. > > Canadian police will encounter some of the same protesters > who took part in the Seattle demonstrations which led to 600 > arrests and caused $3 million US in damage. > > U.S. officials were forced to call in the National Guard and > declare a state of civil emergency while police beat back > angry crowds with batons, tear gas and rubber bullets. > > A key organizer of those trade protests is coming to Quebec. > She says demonstrators are generally peaceful and aren't > responsible for violent skirmishes. > > "It's in the hands of police, the determinate of how much > violence there will be," said Juliette Beck, an executive at > Global Exchange, an international human-rights organization > based in San Francisco. > > "It's up to the way the Quebec police intend to greet these > protesters." > > Several thousand Americans will demonstrate in Quebec while > others will hold similar rallies along the Mexican border, > Beck said in an interview from San Francisco. > > More than 3,000 police officers -- and perhaps as many as > 5,000 -- will be on hand in Quebec City. Reports have said > the total cost of security will surpass $30 million. > > In comparison, only 1,200 police officers were present when > the Seattle summit began. > > The Quebec City meeting is expected to make major strides > toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas, an agreement that > would extend free trade to every country in the Americas > except Communist Cuba. > > Many activists warn, however, that such an agreement would > allow large corporations to take advantage of lax labour and > pollution laws in developing countries. They also fear it > would not deal adequately with the growing global income gap > between rich and poor. > > To reinforce their point, they will hold an alternate summit > in Quebec City that will run from April 17 to 21. > > The Quebec City security operation will provide protection > for about 9,000 visitors, including up to 3,000 journalists. > It will be larger than when Canada hosted the 1976 and 1988 > Olympic Games, said officials from the RCMP and the > provincial police. > > "If we look at the history of past international summits, > there has been a prevalence of violent protest," said RCMP > Const. Julie Brongel. > > "That is why we've been preparing for over a year for the > strategies we will employ to minimize the violence." > > In the last 15 months alone, violent clashes have marred > trade talks in Windsor, Ont., Montreal, Washington, D.C., > and Europe. > > However, Canadian security officials are being accused of > overzealousness in their attempt to thwart protesters. > > "I find it's a bit excessive," said Bibiane Bernier, manager > of a souvenir store at the Loews Le Concorde Hotel, where > some summit meetings will take place. > > "The security perimeter will make people feel like prisoners > in their own city, and emptying the jail is a bit > exaggerated." > > Bernier said employees at her store have been subjected to > background checks by the RCMP upon applying for access > passes to the hotel. > > "They called one of our employees who'd moved five times in > recent years and asked, 'What were you doing? Why did you > move?'" > > Several thousand residents will need to provide a piece of > photo identification and proof of residence -- like a phone > or cable bill -- to qualify for the passes. > > Those cards will allow residents to enter checkpoints in the > security perimeter. > > Officials say the barricade, a four-meter-high metal fence, > will cover an area of about 4.5 kilometres. However, the > area might be extended or reduced, depending on the > perceived threat to security in the days before the summit. > > Several metres of the fence have already been installed on > the historic Plains of Abraham, where British soldiers > battled the French for control of Canada in 1759. > > "The first time I saw this fence, I thought, 'What are these > people doing?" said Linda Leblond, who takes regular walks > along a cross-country ski path that surrounds the plains. > > "What, have we ended up in a concentration camp? We're > hearing so much about the threat of violence that we've come > to expect it." > > One leading constitutional lawyer says not even the threat > of violence is an excuse for such extensive precaution. > > "I'd wonder what law permits them to commit such a serious > violation of the freedom of mobility," Julius Grey said in > an interview from Montreal. > > He has joined a committee that will monitor the summit to > ensure that fundamental rights are respected. > > "You obviously don't leave presidents and prime ministers > unprotected," Grey said. "And nobody has a right to riot ... > but you can't attempt to choke it off before it happens." > > > _____________________________________________________________
