Police and protesters engaged in a standoff today outside a Canadian resort hotel where North American leaders are meeting on trade, security, and turmoil in global credit markets.
An estimated 300 protesters arrived in a convoy of school buses in Montebello, Quebec, shortly before the arrival of US President George W Bush, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and Mexican president Felipe Calderon.
Police in riot gear and gas masks stood near the crowd at the main gate of the hotel, where fences three metres (10 feet) high have been erected around the grounds to protect the two-day summit, according to a reporter at the scene.
No violence was reported. More demonstrators were expected to arrive at the summit site, about 70 km (40 miles) east of Ottawa, later in the day.
The protesters represent a variety of political causes, but many are upset about the three leaders' plan to discuss what they have called the Security and Prosperity Partnership, or SPP.
The plan was drafted in 2005 to ensure that North America is a safe place to live and do business, but critics on the left and right say the it ignores the concerns of ordinary citizens and is a threat to national sovereignty.
"One of the main things we are aiming for is to force the leaders to make these meetings more transparent," said Alberto Arroyo, spokesman for the Red Mexicana de Accion Frente al Libre Comercio group.
Most of the demonstrators appeared to be from Canada.