Protesters of the Summit of the Americas and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas succesfully tore down the security fence. The police responded 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 the 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 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.

Cliff Pearson reporting from Quebec City, Quebec. Quebec IMC.