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IMC Radio Network
This special IMC Radio Report contains stories filed from Quebec, Seattle, Vermont and the Mohawk/Akwesasne Reservation.
This is one half hour of hard hitting solid reports on the demonstrations around the FTAA.
On April 19th, a caravan of over 350 people departed Burlington, Vermont to drive to the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation. Demonstrators were treated to a traditional fish fry by organizers from the indigenous community. Following the meal, participants engaged in an open dialogue about the effects the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) will have on indigenous peoples.
There was a women's march in Quebec City on Thursday April 19th to kick off the protests against the FTAA and Summit of the Americas. Jade Paget Seekins brings us this report.
Citizens from all over the Americas have gathered in Quebec City for the Second Peoples' Summit of the Americas. The Peoples' Summit, put on by the Hemispheric Social Alliance, includes forums on human rights, labor, the environment, indiginous rights, poverty, women's rights, agriculture and communications. The Summit was designed to work on building a proposal to counter the FTAA, not just criticize it. Jade Paget Seekins has a report.
On Saturday, a march of many thousand people, organized by unions and ngo’s, ended near Quebec City’s old town. Jason of the Vermont Workers’ Center describes the ralley held at the march’s end.
A fence surrounding Quebec City’s entire old town was erected by police to distance protestors from the congress center and Summit of the Americas. The ten foot high fence was pulled down and dismantled in several locations by people in the street, including one 300-foot section.
This account of the perimeter fence being torn down on Saturday was filed by Linda Setchell, a Boston IMC reporter.
On Thursday evening in Quebec City Jade Paget-Seekins spoke with Michael Gangé of Salami about the movements use of civil disobedience.
Amoshaun Toft from the VT IMC talked with four Street medics at the burlington IMC after they had had returned from the streets of Quebec.
Amanda Bellerby Interviewed Jacynthe Bedard, a Quebec City resident who opened her home to visiting protesters, an act of what she calls "passive resistance".
On Saturday, about 4000 people gathered at the Us/Canadain border, at the Peace ARch
park straddling the border Thatcher Collins has a report.
Celia Alario is an independent journalist that worked with CMAQ (the Center for Media Alternatives of Quebec). She was lucky enough to have gained access to the Summit Press Center, and brings us a window into what corporate media experianced while trying to cover the Events.
Andrew, an Independent journalist who worked in Quebec, reflects on the state of the FTAA negotiations.
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