In the fiercest street battles in the three days of the summit, riot police firing tear gas clashed repeatedly with protesters who set fires and smashed store windows during the night in Quebec City's Lower Town. Police made 253 arrests on Saturday night - their biggest haul of the week. But no fresh incidents were reported. The summit was also expected to include a statement obliging FTAA members to observe democratic norms and avoid any return to dictatorship. My message in being here is that the earth is not for sale and that democracy is not behind walls.
Free trade hides behind human rights and democracy - it's all mere words.
The free trade agreement will make corporations stronger and nations will lose their sovereignty. On the images that came out, yes. It's unfortunately become the norm of trade summits. But the leaders were not deterred from their business. What is not good is the violence we are seeing, even though from this we have some ideas to think about.