QUEBEC CITY – Thirty four Western Hemisphere leaders worked Saturday to forge a landmark free trade pact in a siege-like atmosphere, as authorities faced continuing, violent demonstrations.
Outside the hall, police fired water cannons and tear gas at rock-throwing crowds. Inside, U.S. President Bush touted the benefits of a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement, saying it was the best way to invigorate the region’s economies and build on freedom.
Mayor of Quebec Jean-Pail L’Allier said he regrets now that Quebec City agreed to host the gathering, saying he is fearful of more violence and thinks the extraordinary security measures will tarnish the city’s reputation for grace and hospitality.
”As for the next time world leaders decide to hold a closed meeting,” he said, ”they should hold it in the desert.”
It was the second day of clashes between demonstrators and police at the Summit of the Americas. Several hundred protesters returned to the site where on Friday they briefly broke through a 2.3-mile chain-link and concrete wall that rings the summit venues.
On Saturday, some demonstrators shook the fence and hurled rocks, sand-filled bottles and concrete blocks at the authorities. Police responded with blasts from water cannons.
A group of 60 riot police marched on the protesters from one side and drove them away from the wall, firing tear gas and beating the demonstrators with night sticks. At least six protesters were wrestled to the ground and led away in handcuffs.
At one spot of frequent clashes between police and demonstrators, police brought in snarling dogs and positioned them just inside the fence in case any demonstrators broke through.
Authorities also positioned snowmaking machines next to water cannons. The snow machines can hurl water farther than the cannons.
At the same time, as many as 20,000 other demonstrators from across the Americas and Europe marched peacefully through the picturesque city.
A delegation of activists trying to breach the gate met up with one of the marches and urged protesters to join them at the clashes. But the marchers, who chanted “solidarity,” said their march was peaceful and continued on their planned route.
Organizers of the march asked police to stop firing tear gas as they passed near the flashpoints, saying children in the protest group could be sickened by the gas. Police did not appear to let up in their barrage.
More than 200 protesters were arrested after the first day of protests on Friday. Five officers were reported injured.
