Montebello Protest And the Police

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The activists ranged from angry anarchists who donned red and black flags after coming in from Montreal in a convoy of school buses to calmer family friendly protesters out of Ottawa. The event has sparked concern the Canada may lose some of its power.

The protests started on the 19th. Mostly peaceful, there were only two arrests on Sunday. A man carrying a concealed knife and a minor causing mischief being the only dark spots at the first day of protesting.

And why the protests?

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians said people shouldn’t be fooled about who really sets the agenda at these summits: the 30 business leaders who sit on the North American Competitiveness Council.

“This is not about security for people, social security, security for the poor, environmental security or job security," she said. "This is about security for the big corporations for North America.”

The riot police were in gear and ready for the protesters. While some went to the areas that had been set aside for protesters others moved down the road.

Some protesters decried the use of designated protest areas, calling them "protest pens."

"They're like cages and they want to keep people in an area where they can manage them," said Trevor Haché, who was part of a caravan of cyclists who rode from Ottawa to join the protest. "We're going to protest where we want to protest. It's our democratic right."

The SPP was designed to work on North American issues of security, trade and public-health issues. The three countries have worked on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Protesters challenge the process since many decisions do not require a vote in Parliament or a change in the law.

"If this is such a wonderful deal and it is about protecting North Americans from shoddy products or whatever they're now saying … then be proud of it, stand up, tell us what's in it … and send it to our Parliament for oversight," Maude Barlow, head of the Council of Canadians, said in an interview from Ottawa Monday morning.

Although Stephen Harper has said that Canada will not lose control of the nation others are concerned about energy, water resources and border as initiatives such as the SPP treaty increase and expand.

Thomas D'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, said getting access to political leaders is not the only way to be heard.

"I do not say to myself, 'If I don't get an hour with the prime minister in the next six months, I'm going to go out and protest and reject the system outright,' " he said.

"I don't do that because civilized human beings — those who believe in democracy — don't do that."

Three of the protesters at the summit were not who they appeared to be. It has been revealed that Quebec provincial police had three of their own among the crowd. According to the police they were in place to notify authorities of non-peaceful actions and not to incite violence among those on the grounds.

"At no time did the police of the Sûreté du Québec act as instigators or commit criminal acts," the police force said in French in a news release. "It is not in the police force's policies, nor in its strategies, to act in that manner.

"At all times, they responded within their mandate to keep order and security."

Witnesses say that may not be the entire truth. The crowd says that they were involved with rock throwing.

Meanwhile, a retired Ottawa police officer who was formerly in charge of overseeing demonstrations for the force said he questions who the masked men really are, after viewing the video.

"Were they legitimate protesters? I don’t think so," said Doug Kirkland.

"Well, if they weren't police, I think they might well have been working in the best interests of police."

He added that if the situation was as it appeared, he did not approve of the tactic. "It's pretty close to baiting," he said.