Americas summit 'under control' despite protests

Canada's prime minister called the opening of the Summit of the Americas a "great success" despite sporadic battles between police and anti-globalization protesters. "We knew that there was going to be some people who were going to try to stop us," Prime Minister Jean Chretien, the summit's host, told reporters Saturday. But he noted that most protesters were peaceful and "everything has been quite under control." The 34 Western Hemisphere leaders who are gathered in Quebec are spending a large part of their time discussing a proposed free trade pact that would cover the region's 800 million people. Outside, about 30,000 critics of free trade denounced its impact on the environment and labor. Most demonstrators marched peacefully Saturday afternoon, but police and small groups of protesters clashed at four points along the 2.3-mile (3.7-kilometer) police perimeter set up to keep demonstrators away from leaders attending the summit. Police used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to force protesters back from barricades, periodically shifting their security lines to counter movements by protesters. Some demonstrators threw rocks and at least two Molotov cocktails. Those caught behind police lines were restrained and removed. At least 45 protesters went to area hospitals with minor injuries, the spokeswoman said, including reactions to tear gas. She said 34 police officers have been injured, and five of them were taken to a hospital.