More than 200 arrested after WTO protests

[dArKeR]

Montreal — Demonstrations against a World Trade Organization meeting degenerated into vandalism of downtown stores and luxury vehicles Monday, with police eventually arresting more than 200 people.

While the majority of the 400 or so activists gathered for the demonstration were peaceful in their opposition to the informal meeting of about 25 international trade ministers, pockets of violent protest early in the day prompted police to declare the entire gathering illegal.

Ten police officers and a news photographer suffered minor injuries in scuffles with people trying to shut down the three-day WTO meeting, said Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030728.wprot0728_2a/BNStory/Front/

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[FrumiousBandersnatch]

1. Ouch... poor Montreal

One of my favorite cities. I hope the Montreal Tower is still inclined and not horizontal? ;-)

[DemBones DemBones]

2. If the MAJORITY of the "400 or so people" were PEACEFUL and

there were only "pockets of violent protest" why did the police "declare the entire gathering illegal" and ARREST 200 people? Majority = more than half. Peaceful majority but half the demonstrators are arrested??? Does not compute.