It was their backyard and their call. They were afraid of becoming part of a violent young people's demonstration. Hopefully, the Quebec union movement will learn the lesson. We have to learn from the new movements. Back up on Dufferin Avenue, activists are finding tactics to adapt to the ubiquitous tear gas showers.
More gas masks begin appearing, along with vinegar and lemon for soaking scarves.
As the day wears on, the boom of gas rockets mingles with the crack of plastic-bullet guns, while protestors bang on the railings in a rhythmic riposte. Apropos of nothing in particular, bored riot cops aimlessly fire off bullets or gas canisters at drummers or activists who get too close to the fence. It doesn't matter. The streets belong to the demonstrators. By nightfall, the demonstrators are smoked down from the hill, and their frustration collides with police vindictiveness in the worst violence of the two days.