Quebec wall down!

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                    Protesters tear down wall, police launch gas in Quebec
City (english) 
                    by Cliff Pearson 3:02pm Fri Apr 20 '01 (Modified on
3:13pm Fri Apr 20 '01) 
                    address: 1920 Abrams Parkway, #354, Dallas, Texas 75214
phone: 972-949-4314 cliffpearson@netzero.net 

                              Protesters successfully tear down the
security perimeter fence at the Grand 
                              Theatre, the main site of the Summit of the
Americas where delegates are 
                              negotiating the FTAA. Police respond with 16
cans of tear gas. 

                    PROTESTERS TEAR DOWN WALL, POLICE LAUNCH GAS IN QUEBEC
CITY 

                    By Cliff Pearson, co-chair 
                    Green Party of Dallas County 
                    Dallas, Texas USA 

                    (QUEBEC CITY, Quebec) - "Tear it down! Tear it down!,"
the activists demanded -- just before they did just that. After
                    an unidentified young man climbed to the top of the
ten-foot-high "cyclone" security fence at the Grand Theatre, he
                    yelled in French and English for others to grab the
steel and concrete fence and rock it until it came down.
                    Approximately 40-50 activists did just that, and after
about five minutes, several hundred feet of the wall was down. 

                    The section of the fence near the Grand Theatre houses
the main gate to the two-mile-long "security perimeter" erected
                    by the Canadian government to keep the Summit of the
Americas delegates safe and to keep the protesters out. 

                    After the wall came down, for a few brief moments, no
one seemed sure what to do. Members of the mainstream media
                    were pouring over the broken down wall to get better
photos of the activists. As though taking a cue, approximately 300
                    activists of the thousands present walked into the
secured area also. Among them were those who had actually torn the
                    fence down. I was unable to get close enough to
interview them, but they were wearing Cuban national flags on their 
                    backs. 

                    Precipitating the tearing down of the wall, about three
or four protesters threw rolls of toliet paper and empty aluminum
                    cans over the fence. I was close enough to see what was
going on, and none of the thrown items hit any police officers
                    or others on the other side of the wall. The articles
seemed to be thrown more as a symbolic 
                    gesture than as attempts at provocation or violence.
The fence itself was covered with flowers, signs, leaflets and other
                    things left there by people demanding an end to the
Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. 

                    But after the wall had come down and people began
slowly moving into the secured space, the police began launching
                    cans of tear gas into the crowd -- including into the
crowd that had not crossed into the secured area. I personally
                    counted and witnessed 16 cans of tear gas launched. I
was gassed twice in the face and required medical attention
                    once. Fortunately there was a medic nearby who doused my 
                    tearing eyes and burning face with water. I'm told by
several fellow independent journalists that no other medical
                    attention has been required so far other than the
rinsing off of tear gas. 

                    I got a number of photos which I will upload as soon as
I can get them developed. Among these photos are: shots of the
                    young man on top of the wall with his hands raised --
calling for the wall to come down, the wall actually falling, the toilet
                    paper being thrown, and tear gas cannisters being fired
at the crowd. 

                    I ran out of film and my eyes, face and throat were
burning from the still more tear gas, and I couldn't find Mike Moren or
                    Ryan Foster -- my traveling companions -- anywhere. I
lost them in the crowd about 20 minutes before the ordeal
                    started. I haven't heard about any arrests yet, but I
will keep everyone updated and try to locate my 
                    friends. 

                    The CMAC (Quebec Independent Media Center) is now
annoucing that they've fired more tear gas and are now
                    shooting rubber bullets at the crowd. An Independent
Media Center journalist reportedly has been arrested. A press
                    conference is announced for 4:30 p.m. (right now) at
the CMAC headquarters and I will attend. 

                    For up to the minute reporting from the scene, continue
checking www.quebec.indymedia.org. They have live
                    RealAudio feeds as well as photos and text stories. 

                    Reporting from the protest at Quebec City, Quebec, I'm
Cliff Pearson, Quebec IMC.

                    www.dallasgreens.org

                    add your own comments 


                     
                    That's Right, Tear The Fu**er Down! (english) 
                    by Death To The FTAA 3:13pm Fri Apr 20 '01 

                    No "we" did not win the Cold War, mulitnational
corporations did and now they erect walls to rob the people of their
                    rights. 


www.indymedia.org