|
Comment on this article |
View comments |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Miscellaneous |
|
Protests Escalate |
Current rating: 0 |
by zoe mitchell
(No verified email address) |
21 Apr 2001
|
|
The wall has been broken in several more sections today. Vast quantities of tear gas have been shot at protesters. A car is a flame. It's chaos... |
The solidarity chants and songs of the union march, which appeared to be more than 30,000 strong, was interupted periodically by people screaming in pain.
"Why are they spraying us? We are peaceful!" one yelled as teargas from the intersection of Autoroute Dufferin and Cote d'Abraham streamed over the massive crowd. On the whole the union members were unprepared for the teargassing, because their march had a permit.
Several blocks away at the intersection of Autoroute Dufferin and Cote d'Abraham, protesters were prepared for the gas. Many had gas masks, goggles, or vinegar soaked bandannas, but the gas was too intense. Unlike yesterday, where the wind blew the gas back in the direction of the cops, today, it is flowing directly toward the protesters. And, in an already teargas filled environment, it is very difficult to breathe.
Currently at rue Saint Jean, the protesters have created another breach in the wall. It is confirmed that 15,000 union members and black bloc members are inside the perimeter and there is heavy teargas. Also confirmed, a car is on fire from a teargas canister at Saint Jean. There is more teargas going off at Rene Levesque and in general, Quebec City is a mess.
From the Vermont IMC:
<http://vermont.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=721&group=webcast>
Picture linked below is of the wall torn down on Friday: |
See also:
http://vermont.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=663&group=webcast
|
|
Protesters pile into the forbidden city |
by Alloy
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
22 Apr 2001
|
From the Chicago IMC site about what happened after the wall was breached:
After the security checkpoint at Rene Levesque had been torn down at 3:15, 200 protesters piled in to retake the public space which had been taken from them. They managed to hold the ground inside for 30 minutes before tear gas forced them out.
After the fall of the parameter gate at Rene Levesque, 200 protesters, some but not all of them black block, charged the line of security forces inside. More sections of the wall were pulled down until a 300 foot breach had been accomplished. Protesters danced and jumped on the fence in triumph.
The security forces back off a bit, but the crowd’s focus was on making its presence known inside the security zone. Troops stayed back as protesters jeered the people who the fence was meant to protect.
More forces arrived and set up a stronger police line. They pushed the protesters, who had infiltrated about 150 feet into the zone, back up towards the downed fence. Troops created a new line on the intersection just beyond where the gate stood only 5 minutes before. Another set of troops formed a line on De L`Amerique-Francaise to keep protesters from getting farther in that way.
At that point, police stood their ground with protesters still inside. The crowd threw bottles trash at the police line and chanted solidarity. A few protesters picked up the movable metal guardrails and placed them in front of the police line.
A situation remained at a stand still for 25 minutes. Protesters remained in the security parameter. About 3:30 pm, a group of black block members rushed the police line on De L`Amerique-Francaise. Police pushed back and then the tear gas was unleashed. Two quick rounds backed off the protesters, but not too far.
At 3:40, police started shooting off multiple tear gas canisters to clear out the crowd. Five minutes later the security zone had been cleared except for the corporate journalist who were too stupid to know better. Troops cleared people back from the fallen wall with more gas until the bulk of the crowd was standing on Claire Fontaine. More security forces more up from the direction of the wall city to make a police wall where once a concrete and steel wall stood.
Events became a stand off for the next 10 minutes. During that time, protesters threw bottles, stones and snowball at the police as police continued to fire off tear gas. Suddenly, a line of troops arrived, traveling south along the fence on Fontaine. The troops moved into a line to retake the green space in front of the overpriced wall that did not last 15 minutes.
Volley after volley of tear gas was launched off to drive protesters from farther from the fence. Troops took small steps forward in an effort to recreate a security parameter. At this point they started using CS tear gas, the stronger version.
At 4 pm, 45 minutes after the wall had been breached, brave protesters wearing goggles and handkerchiefs were still protesting in front of the gate that had once blocked their entrance. But troops were slowly moving to make the world safe for free trade.
|
See also:
http://chicago.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=1983
|
