Two smaller, peaceful protests against the WTO fizzled yesterday afternoon as only scattered clusters of activists made it as far as the police barricade at Peel St. and René Lévesque Blvd.
Just a handful of protesters marched right up to the fencing, expressing their disgust toward the World Trade Organization to a line of Sûreté du Québec riot squad officers standing barely an arm's length away.
Police arrested three people during the protest, two accused of vandalizing a media truck and one alleged to have breached parole conditions.
Despite the low turnout - only about 300 people - organizers called the two marches a success.
Trade ministers representing 25 countries are in town for a WTO ministerial meeting to discuss, among other topics, agriculture subsidies. The talks wrap up today.
"(Ministers are) very aware on the inside that today and yesterday there were hundreds of people on the streets who completely question the legitimacy of their institution," said Stefan Christoff, a protest organizer.
The fact that a heavily defended security perimeter was established was evidence of the disruption, he said.
Yesterday's action was focused on educating the public, not confronting police, he added.
Christoff said the relatively small turnout was to be expected, because the event took place in the summer and organizers had less than two months to plan.
One hundred forty-six people arrested after Monday's protest appeared in court yesterday.
Laith Marouf, a member of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, said the anti-globalization movement is maturing, as demonstrated by better-organized protests and activists who know how to present their message to the mainstream media so that it's not misinterpreted.
"In the next five to 10 years, this movement will become a threat to the established elite," Marouf predicted.
"The aim is to educate the public on the street, and I think we have achieved that."
As the crowd looped through downtown streets at noon, clusters of workers lined the sidewalk to watch the procession go by.
"Let's go, come on, we can make a difference," Steve Ekberg, 39, from Vermont, shouted as he tried to recruit support from onlookers.
A few motorists honked their horns.
People didn't leave the sidewalk for the street, but the protest got them talking.
"Hey, this is interesting," said one young man as he walked along Ste. Catherine St., barely audible over chants of "No justice, no peace, stop the police."
Seven-year-old Youssef was holding his mother's hand as the group rounded the bend toward him.
"What's going on, Mom?" he asked.
His mother, Amanda Martin-Elbehri, told him the protesters were trying to get rich countries to be fairer to poor ones.
She agrees with that principle, but said using violence to get the message across - like smashing store windows on Monday - detracts from it.
"I'm looking at the kids and the adults, saying you're not reaching me," said the 46-year-old from Washington, D.C., who is in town for a conference.
Renée Sharpe hitchhiked from Newfoundland to take part in the demonstrations.
She spent most of yesterday afternoon outside a police station, waiting for friends to be released after they were arrested along with more than 300 other people Monday.
"This was my first big protest, so I didn't know what to expect," said Sharpe, 21.
"It was disappointing.
"Everyone's gone, everyone's arrested. All these arrests have blown the wind out of people's sails."
She did come prepared.
She had even written on her arm the telephone number of a lawyer to call if she were arrested.
"It's obvious we have been heard," she said.
"We've caused a lot of disruption. I didn't like all the vandalism, but I was glad there wasn't any real violence or pepper spray or anything."
Adam Cormier, 24, also from Newfoundland, is in Montreal with the international group Mobilization for Global Justice to protest against the meeting.
"It's an ongoing battle that started in Seattle," he said. "And now it's come to the WTO going on in the background and the police and us fighting.
"They're making decisions about world trade that are going to affect our grandchildren, and we don't even know what they are. We don't even get to even listen."
Eileen Travers of the gazette contributed to this report
A Carnival Against Capitalism is scheduled for today on St. Laurent Blvd., just north of Ontario St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
nalcoba@thegazette.canwest.coma
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