200 Arrested in Montreal Riot

Store windows smashed, police officers injured, cars vandalized at WTO protest

July 29, 2003 
Natalie Alcoba and Eileen Travers
CanWest News Service; with files from The Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Police arrested more than 200 demonstrators yesterday after windows were smashed, businesses and cars were vandalized, and police officers were injured during a protest against a World Trade Organization meeting in Montreal.

About 400 people showed up for an early morning march through downtown streets with the aim of shutting down the talks -- involving two dozen international trade ministers -- that continue until tomorrow.

Four people were arrested during the demonstration, including well-known protester Jaggi Singh, who was apprehended for violating court orders to stay away from protests, police said. The rest were arrested after the riots broke up.

Ten police officers suffered minor injuries during the riots.

While the majority of the demonstrators were peaceful in their opposition to the meeting, pockets of violent protest early in the day -- particularly windows being smashed and rocks being thrown at police officers -- prompted Montreal police to declare the entire gathering illegal.

Display windows at the Gap and Burger King on busy Ste-Catherine Street were shattered. A Canadian Forces recruitment centre was also vandalized.

At several points in the demonstration, a few protesters threw large garbage dumpsters and barricades from construction sites into the street in an effort to block the police who followed several metres behind in their vehicles.

On the streets, protesters shouted their frustration at being kept well away from the meeting by metal barricades and police officers dressed in riot gear.

Many businesses took preventive measures by boarding up their windows. Others closed for the day.

The smell of vinegar permeated the air at certain points as demonstrators doused their bandannas in anticipation of a shower of tear gas or pepper spray from the riot police. Some wore gas masks. No gas or pepper spray was used.

After the crowd dispersed, many people made their way to an area east of the downtown that had been deemed a meeting spot or "safe" area by organizers.

Krystal Kraus, 23, from Toronto, was among those who had gone to the area to regroup. She was able to slip away as a wave of police officers wearing helmets and carrying shields pushed the group up the street.

"This is obvious overkill," she said, on the outside of a police barricade separating her from the demonstrators.

One by one, protesters were plucked from the crowd by a pair of police officers, handcuffed, photographed and taken to the police station.

Oline Twiss, 28, said several people arrested hadn't even attended the protest in the morning. "Everybody was here because they were looking for a safe place," she said over the telephone, as she waited to be processed by police.

Police Const. Ian Lafrenière said police used several forms of surveillance to monitor who was taking part in the protest, including undercover officers and helicopters that followed the crowd to the safe location.

"It was established as an illegal protest, a riot," said Const. Lafrenière. "So because of that we gave warnings to the people who were taking part in that protest. People were still gathering together. That's the reason why we followed them to this location and that's the reason why we made the arrests."

"It was quite easy for us to make the arrests at this point without injuring anyone," he said, adding investigations would determine who would be charged with vandalism. Protesters plan to demonstrate today and tomorrow as well.

The WTO meeting is a chance for the international ministers to determine how close the organization's 146-member countries are to negotiating a trade treaty dubbed the Doha Development Agenda. It's in advance of a full-scale WTO meeting in Cancun, Mexico in September.

The demonstrators take issue with what they say is a lack of action by wealthier countries to help poorer countries in areas such as agriculture.

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