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 Editorials | Opinions | August 2007 
Protesting Too Far
 Chatham Daily News
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| | Riot police push protestors at the entrance at the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) summit where US President George W. Bush, Canadian Prime-Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon met in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. Four demonstrators were arrested and five police were injured in a melee on Monday. (AFP/David Boily) |
In a sad case of shooting the messenger, protesters assaulted the cameraman who was taping them to broadcast the images into the site of the North American leaders' summit this week in Quebec.
According to a spokesman, on Monday, the cameraman "was roughed up pretty badly, but his injuries weren't bad enough to require a hospital visit."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon held two days of talks at Chateau Montebello in western Quebec.
Security perimeters kept protesters well back of the summit. However, organizers were attempting to install a so-called "protest cam" to allow the protest to be beamed into the lavish hotel.
The crew was threatened and the private company taping the protests declined to release the name of the cameraman.
Screens in the hotel lobby went blank by late-afternoon.
It was a rough day overall, as riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray to hold back demonstrators outside the summit.
In Canada, people have the right to protest, the right to be heard. At this week's "Three Amigos" summit, as well as previous G-8, APEC and the Summit of the Americas hosted by Canada, a handful of protesters who go too far give all demonstrators a bad reputation. It's one thing to disagree with the government; it's another to attack a cameraman or police officers who are just doing their job. When protesters turn to violence, they may as well push the mute button on news broadcasts appearing in homes around the country. Canadians are by and large a peaceful lot, and such violence brings scorn, not support.
The same can be said when police overreact, taking violent steps to "protect" the political leaders.
Protesting is an excellent way of getting one's opinion out to the masses. The media will generally cover the issue, and demonstration can illustrate to the targeted individuals or organization how poorly received an initiative or action is.
But anarchist attacks hurt more than their immediate targets. They hurt the ability for protesters to get their points across. |
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