CALGARY (CP) - Anti-globalization protesters barricaded the lunch crowd in a downtown McDonalds Wednesday as an economic summit of the world's richest countries began in nearby Kananaskis, Alta.
``We want Ronald's head,'' shouted one man as about 200 demonstrators stopped in front of the multi-national hamburger chain, whose golden arches have been a major target of anti-capitalist activists for years.
About 30 young people, many wearing dark safety glasses and bandanas to mask their identities, linked arms to blockade the fast-food outlet on trendy Stephen Avenue, a pedestrian mall tucked amidst Calgary's skyscrapers.
Customers locked inside looked scared as they peered at the protesters through a wall of police officers on bicycles. The 30-minute standoff ended when police entered the restaurant and let people out another door.
The confrontation was the closest thing to violence experienced since protests against the Group of Eight summit began in Calgary on Sunday. Other demonstrations have been vocal, at times playful and even R-rated -- but not violent.
In Ottawa, an American flag wrapped around an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush was set on fire as about 1,000 people squared off against police. One arrest was reported by early Wednesday evening.
Demonstrators want the world's most powerful leaders to focus their attention on the plight of the poor.
Wednesday evening, a convoy of protesters claimed a moral victory after being allowed down Highway 40 towards the secluded Rocky Mountain retreat where the world leaders are holding their economic meeting.
The 200 protesters, who wanted to present a petition to summit staff, met with a police negotiator but were not allowed past the first security checkpoint into Kananaskis Village, 110 kilometres west of Calgary.
Const. Elly Swift of the RCMP's activist liasion unit told protesters they did not have proper accreditation to enter the security zone.
``The reason there's a checkpoint (is to give) police authority to protect an internationally protected person,'' said Swift.
But protest organizer Gordon Christie was elated anyway.
``There's people who didn't think we'd get outside the city of Calgary and people who didn't think we'd get past the Highway 40 turnoff,'' he said. ``We were able to come here in a very peaceful manner. Nobody was arrested and we got our message across.''
Two video cameras recorded their movements and soldiers could be seen in the nearby forest. There are at least 12 checkpoints along the secondary highway.
Earlier in the day, a postal union official was arrested for obstructing a peace officer at the Kananaskis site. Police say the altercation happened after 15 postal workers negotiated a way to deliver letters to the G-8 meeting.
Despite the tight security, a couple from nearby Canmore, Alta., were left alone for much of the day at their protest on the same secondary highway leading into the summit site. At one point, RCMP even brought the pair water.
``We're just two individuals who decided to get off our butts and say something,'' said retired teacher Mike Alsterlund, 60. He and wife Jake, set up their banner calling for ``Peaceful Solutions, Environmental Solutions'' at a cattle gate within easy sight of the TransCanada Highway around 11 a.m.
``We're not part of a group or an organization,'' said Alsterlund. ``We're just common people and we hope we can excite more common people to express their feelings.''
At an afternoon picnic in downtown Calgary, several hundred activists left their gas masks and goggles behind to throw Frisbees and fly kites in a festive atmosphere under scorching 30 C temperatures. Unionists, university students and parents pushing babies in strollers danced and sang anti-summit songs.
Singer Bruce Cockburn told the mellow crowd he was impressed with the absence of violence. He talked about revolution, the ``dirty'' International Monetary Fund and sang protest songs he wrote more than a decade ago, including Call It Democracy.
``Unfortunately, they still seem pretty current,'' he said.
Cockburn and several other Canadian musicians recently released a CD to help raise legal defence money for protesters.
Earlier, 1,000 protesters snaked through Calgary's downtown during morning rush hour, snarling traffic and intent on sending a message to world leaders on the first day of the G-8 meetings.
Hundreds of police officers, many on bicycles, surrounded the march and blocked off streets to allow the procession. Throughout Wednesday, sirens blared throughout downtown as the police chopper buzzed overhead.
``If there's any violence, it's on the part of the G-8 because their activities are violent towards the poor everywhere,'' said Ruth Miller, a Raging Granny who came from Victoria for the meetings.
``I'm hoping all these police and troops are going to look silly. They've got 5,000 going to Kananaskis -- they only sent 1,500 to the whole Gulf War.''
Calgary Police Insp. Al Redford said there were no arrests Wednesday relating to the G-8 summit. He attributed the success to the versatile mountain bike units which appear less threatening than officers in full riot gear.
Although activists criticized police for spending hundreds of millions on summit security, Redford said it was necessary to train all 1,400 Calgary officers and bring in hundreds of officers from 25 police departments across the country.
``We'd be remiss if we didn't prepare for the worst and hope for the best,'' he said.
Some Calgarians went to work as early as 5 a.m., worried that the demonstrators would cripple the morning commute. Others took the delay in stride.
``It's OK _ the voice needs to be heard,'' said Gary Lorimer, as the protest swarmed around his car. ``The entire thing went around my vehicle and there was no damage whatsoever. Everyone was pretty friendly.''
Not all appeared welcoming. Some marchers wore T-shirts emblazoned with My Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboys and Kiss Me _ I'm a Terrorist.
Motorists sat idling their engines as the activists stopped at various points in front of the head offices of oil companies and trans-national corporations. There they would sit, listen to a two-minute speech denouncing the company, then stand up and move on.
Meanwhile in Edmonton, about 200 sign-carrying activists, many with children and pets, marched noisily, but peacefully through a south side business district and across a North Saskatchewan River bridge at evening rush hour to protest the G-8.
They gathered in a park dedicated to a police officer killed in the line of duty to hear speeches and music decrying corporate control and globalization. Members of the police bicycle squad watched from a shady spot a discreet distance away.
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