You have commented 338 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Great White North
WTO Protesters Smash Windows in Montreal
2003-07-28
A handful of protesters opposed to most everything the World Trade Organization raged through downtown Montreal on Monday, smashing store windows and attacking U.S. symbols ahead of a meeting of 25 trade ministers. At least one person was arrested before the activists were dispersed by police. The activists, many wearing hoods and gas masks, attacked a Burger King restaurant before moving on to a Gap clothing store in the main shopping street, accusing multinational companies of moving into developing countries and forcing local producers out of business. "Whose streets? Our streets," the group shouted, waving banners that declared "Destroy the WTO."
Makes you think of Al Capp's "Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything" (SWINE), doesn't it?
Later, under pressure from the police, they scattered into the side streets. "What they did was legitimate," said Stefan Christoff, one of the organizers of the protests. "Police tried to stop the demonstration happening, people’s voices were rejected. These demonstrations allow people to question these institutions and their policies."
"And to break things. That's, like, rilly kewl..."
The rampage by a dozen or so activists occurred as police in riot gear held back around 250 protesters gathered in front of the Sheraton hotel, where 25 trade ministers were to meet later Monday. The meeting was called by Canada’s Pierre Pettigrew to try to resolve differences between nations working on a global treaty to reduce barriers to international trade. Organizers of the rally had predicted that thousands would gather for protests, but only a few hundred had turned up by early Monday.
I’m sure that those thousands would have shown up if they hadn’t been in fear of their lives at the hands of the brutal Canadian police.
The activists are aiming to shut down the meeting, which they claim is a prime example of rich nations getting richer at the expense of the developing world.
Student Rodrigo Santos, 22, from Ontario said he had a firsthand look in his native Chile at how multinationals hire people at low wages, benefiting their shareholders back home rather than local communities. "If somebody ends up thinking about things and can tell their children and maybe someone else, that’s good enough for me," Santos said.
What they’re thinking, Rodrigo, is what a bunch of violent thugs you are.
The Montreal gathering is supposed to smooth the way for a meeting of all 146 WTO members in Cancun, Mexico, in September.
Memo to self: cancel September vacation in Cancun.
Posted by:Steve

#9  NMM- Another empty head to try to fill. What pray tell is your answer to changing business conditions? Let me guess, government induced stagnation. Bzzzz, wrong answer. Correct answer-Minimal intrusion so the market can continuously grow and provide employment to those displaced by the fact of life called CHANGE.

Money ain't the funny green paper printed by the Treasury, it is the value added to products and services by the effort and ever improving ideas of men. If you think that you have a better way, get out there and try it. Hire away the poor waifs employed by the multi-nationals and produce something that people will pay for. Help us "grow the pie."

Yes, I do put my money where my mouth is. I am a small business owner and risk all my possessions on employing several dozen people in manufacturing. It is far from easy, and far from dull!
Posted by: Craig   2003-7-29 11:15:13 AM  

#8  NMM,would you prefer heavy industry to return the"Village Smithy"and textiles to be made on hand operated looms?
Posted by: raptor   2003-7-29 8:32:21 AM  

#7  ...or get a rich doctor boyfriend with an endowment so big that it makes everybody else bitter!
Posted by: tu3031   2003-7-28 11:09:07 PM  

#6  Cyber Sarge,

The Mexican National Police are notoriously unfriendly to foreign troublemakers, especially Yankee Pig ones, lefties or not. If these puppeteering morons try this garbage in Cancun and wreck some big shot's property, hell will be paid.

Posted by: Ernest Brown   2003-7-28 9:08:23 PM  

#5  Bad, nasty, evil multinational corporations! How dare they force our citizens into taking jobs. Why can't the Chiliean gov't just keep running the currency printing presses and make all the citizens millionaires?

So many empty skulls, so little time!
Posted by: Craig   2003-7-28 4:28:50 PM  

#4  DAMN! Anyone want some cheap tickets to Cancun? The ONLY way to handle this rabble is to crack some heads. After they wake up charge them and make them pay for damages and police costs. Take away their money and suport and they will go away.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2003-7-28 4:21:00 PM  

#3  Seeing how this is Canada

Hey don't knock the Canadian police. They did, after all, knock off that machete wielding guy who thought he was still in Iran. (mind you, this could be used in court later against the policeman).

had a firsthand look in his native Chile at how multinationals hire people at low wages

Yes I agree. Multinationals are baaad. Better for them leave Chile and go elsewhere. Rodrigo should have a chat with his Puerto Rican friends about Vieques.
Posted by: Rafael   2003-7-28 2:34:11 PM  

#2  (thump) OW!
(thump) OW!
(thump) OW!

Repeat as necessary.
Posted by: mojo   2003-7-28 2:09:21 PM  

#1  Seeing how this is Canada, they'll probably arrest those nasty store owners for having those big plate glass windows to antagonize these gentle souls.
Posted by: tu3031   2003-7-28 1:29:40 PM  

00:00