Police tear gas, pepper spray protesters at Montebello summit

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President George Bush talk prior to a bilateral meeting at the North American Leaders Summit in Montebello, Que., Monday. (CP/Adrian Wyld)

MONTEBELLO, Que. (CP) - Riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray to hold back protesters outside the Chateau Montebello resort Monday as Stephen Harper met George W. Bush to kick off the North American Leaders' Summit.

A line of police in riot gear jostled with about 50 demonstrators - the vanguard of hundreds who marched on the front gate of the summit compound shouting taunts.

Officers eventually used pepper spray and at least one canister of tear gas to restrain the protesters, who responded by flinging rocks and branches. Two protesters were hauled away in handcuffs.

The confrontation settled into a face-to-face standoff between a hardcore group of protesters and police, while other demonstrators sat down or backed off.

The prime minister welcomed the U.S. president after he arrived by helicopter at the massive log-framed chateau.

Asked by reporters whether he'd gotten a look at the protesters, Harper dismissed the demonstration: "I've heard it's nothing. A couple hundred? It's sad."

The pair then sat down for a bilateral meeting where Harper was expected to raise issues such as Arctic sovereignty, possible alternatives to passports at the border, and next month's climate-change conference in the U.S.

Harper and Bush are to meet Tuesday with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who arrived later Monday afternoon, to discuss the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

Sources have told The Canadian Press that the leaders will wrap up their summit Tuesday with a call for a new border disaster protocol to avoid a repeat of the crippling tie-ups that occurred after 9-11.

Angry anarchists and family-friendly activists converged on Montebello on Monday to protest the summit, but concerns about huge, violent demonstrations fizzled.

*snip* more above on the link above. Interesting. Not ONE picture of the protests online, and acessing this I got asked if I had a security certificate ... Look at the headline and ask why that is the photo posted.