I tore down the fence, but wasn't throwing any projectiles. I guess I was in the blac block. I watched as peaceful protesters and innocent bystanders were gassed.

I was hit in the chest with a tear gas canister. I was shot in the leg with a plastic bullet. I danced and had a lot of fun. Most importantly, I met a number of people from all over.

It's a struggle, but with each passing day, I become more confident that we will win.

I was in Quebec City over the weekend. Here's what I saw (please read if you wish to counteract any misinformation that was provided from the media).

I guess that I would have been considered to be a member of the Black Bloc, as I was part of the first group that tore down the fence on Réné Lesveque Blvd. It came down real quick. The cops just stood back and watched as we toppled about 50 meters of fence within 5-10 minutes of reaching the barricade.

Then people began to throw rocks and paving stones, rushing the police with parts of the fence and other debris. In an attempt to calm things down, some of the protesters formed a line in front of the police and faced the crowd, with their arms raised above their heads, giving the peace symbol. I walked towards them, giving the police the peace symbol. I got about 5 feet away from them and was shot in the chest with a tear gas canister.

I turned my back to them, and tried to urge the crowd to be peaceful. The cops then proceeded to shoot us peaceful protesters in the back with tear gas. I left the front of the march for a while to clear my eyes and throat.

By the time I returned, the police had advanced and were shooting more tear gas into the retreating crowd. For a while, the cops held their ground, while some of us danced and played any percussion instruments we could find (street signs, pavement, placard stakes...).

Others continued to throw rocks at the officers. The police were in full riot gear; the rocks (most of which did not even reach them) could not have hurt them. Then they gassed us some more.

A group of us retreated into an apartment complex to the side of the barricade. It was a senior citizens complex. Between two of the buildings, a group of protesters sat down giving the peace sign to a group of cops facing us. A few people tried to explain (in English and in French) that this was a seniors complex and that we were peacefully trying to express ourselves. One resident leaned out the window and shouted something to us in French; many protesters cheered so I guess it was a compliment. Then police gassed us and the seniors.

As the day went on, gas was repeatedly shot at the peaceful protesters. Luckily the wind was at our backs, and most of the gas just blew back at the cops.

At about 4:00 p.m., the cops began to force us back along Réné Lesveque Blvd. I was a few blocks from the barricade, about 15 or 20 metres away from the nearest cops, and I was dancing amongst a group of drummers. There, I was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet. (I later read an interesting fact about the rubber bullets from a police spokesperson: they are only used sparingly, and as a last resort before arrest for protesters who come very close to police andare endangering them. Me?)

That all happened on Friday.

On Saturday, the police weren't just standing back. Anyone who approached the perimeter was gassed. Including a group of us flashing the peace symbol, sitting down.

I saw parts of the fence being dismantled, but only near a cemetery, where the police stood behind a second fence.

Over all, Saturday had a much more festive feel. There were large groups of marching drummers and dancers; they were gassed.

I spent most of the day at a place where a number of roads converge with highway ramps. People were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. They were gassed, along with a group who sat in a circle 5 or 10 metres away from the fence, giving the peace sign to cops and demonstrators. When the cops found out that the gas wasn't going to disperse them, they shot them with a water cannon, rubber bullets, bean bag bullets and more tear gas. The demonstrators got up and danced.

Most of the roads leading to the barricade at that point were full of people. A group climbed up into the overhead street signs & began drumming on it with rocks and sticks. Soon every street sign, guard rail and lamp post became drums and more people began to dance. More tear gas was shot.

Not many people towards the front were bothered by the gas - you seem to build up a tolerance as the day goes by. So the cops began to shoot the canisters further back into the crowd. Not many people there were ready for the gas, and a minor stampede began.

Many of the canisters missed their mark and fell into the streets below, where children and families were protesting in the 'green zone'. Anyone in the city of Quebec that day now knows what it's like to be gassed.

More rubber bullets and bean bag bullets were shot at protesters 20 metres away because they were 'clearly' endangering the safety of the police. Random shots were fired into the area a number of times. I left the area Saturday at about 9:30 p.m. when more cops began to fill the intersection.

That's a highlight of what I saw first hand. I've also got some souvenirs (rubber bullets and bean bag bullets), to show to who ever wants to see them.