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MONTREAL Organizers of this weekend s Grand Prix festivities indowntown Montreal saw their worst nightmare play out on Saturdaynight as protesters and police clashed for two hours along one ofthe city s busiest thoroughfares, trapping thousands of revelersin the middle of recurring episodes of chaos. Police reported a total of 28 arrests. The night began peacefully around 9 p.m. as a group of about 600protesters set out from milie Gamelin Park near theBerri-UQ M m tro station and made their way west, walking at abrisk pace until they ran into a line of riot police that forcedthem to turn south. A game of cat and mouse ensued, with officersfrom both the S ret du Qu bec and the Montreal police forcecontinually blocking access west and pushing the demonstratorsfurther and further south. At 9:45 p.m., however, the crowd finally managing to dart up towardSte. Catherine St. W. and into the heart of the Grand Prix party,which at that point was in full swing. Within minutes, all semblance of order along the already bustlingstreet appeared to collapse. Traffic ground to a halt and the crowds party-goers andprotesters alike flooded into the roadway. Projectiles were thrown at officers and several police vehicles hadtheir windows smashed or were otherwise damaged at the intersectionof Ste. Catherine and Crescent Sts. Police were seen making several targeted arrests within the crowd. At one point, pepper spray was deployed and a line of riot policeadvanced on the mass of people who had gathered to watch theconfrontation unfold. Panicked, the crowd fled both east and westaway from the chaotic scene. One woman was seen cowering behind ajewelry stand. Others could be heard screaming. Many people, including several children, were overcome by pepperspray that wafted through the air. Over the next hour, police pushed the crowds back, only to havethem advance again several times, ending up right back where thefirst clash occurred at the entrance to Crescent St. traditionally the busiest spot downtown during Grand Prix weekend. Constable Rapha l Bergeron of Montreal police said Sundaymorning that of the 28 arrests, 16 were for charges under theCriminal Code including assault and assault with a weapon. One dozen individuals were arrested on a municipal bylawinfraction, he added. Police also confirmed that earlier Saturday, a cab driver hadgotten into a heated argument with demonstrators at theintersection of Beaver Hall and Belmont Sts. The cabbie allegedlydrove his car into a small knot of people standing on the roadway,injuring three protesters and damaging a bicycle before speedingaway, Montreal police Constable Simon Delorme said. Minutes later, the driver was pulled over by police. Police said initially the cabbie would likely face charges inconnection with the incident. Sunday morning, Constable Anie Lemieux of Montreal police said thetaxi driver had been released after questioning, and isn't likelyto be charged. The three people hurt a 25-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman anda 50-year-old man were taken to hospital for treatment of whatDelorme described as minor injuries . There were no immediate reports of other injuries, serious orotherwise. Standing along a sidewalk on Ste. Catherine, a woman who gave hername as Gene said she was embarrassed by what was happening. I don t think anyone thought it would come to this, she said,shaking her head. A native Montrealer, Gene said she approved completely of the police response to the demonstrators, andclapped loudly whenever officers walked by. Others in the crowd were not so pleased with the police force sresponse. Where is the riot? one woman screamed as she sprinted away froma line of advancing officers. Other people said that they felt unsafe, and that they feared thepolice had lost control of the situation. Throughout the evening, small verbal and sometimes physical fightsbroke out within the huge crowd between supporters of the studentstrike movement and those who oppose the protest actions. Two mennearly came to blows near de la Montagne St. before their friendsdragged them away from each other. One man, who did not wish to give his name, was overheard sayingthat he was genuinely frightened by what was happening around him. Even as he was speaking, protesters surrounded a police car withofficers seated inside and began vandalizing the vehicle. Riotpolice quickly moved in to free the trapped car. Despite the violence unfolding just a few metres away, the upscaleparties taking place along the upper part of Crescent St. onSaturday night seemed to continue largely undisturbed. One man in town from New York City, who gave his name only as Jim,said he found the whole thing entertaining. I was excited about the rioting, he said, laughing. I m from New York. It doesn t frighten me at all. It s justlike (Occupy Wall Street), but on a smaller scale. Shortly before 1 a.m., things appeared to be returning to normal. Jan Ravensbergen of The Gazette contributed to this report. janr@montrealgazette.com. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as E27 Led Lamps Manufacturer , China Dimmable Led Light Bulbs, and more. For more , please visit Dimmable Led Light Bulbs today!
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