Spouses cancel visit to hospital

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-04-nato-spouses_N.htm
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STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Michelle Obama and other spouses of NATO nation leaders have cancelled a visit to a French cancer hospital at the last minute for security reasons, the French president's office said, as police fired tear gas at protesters nearby.

Some 1,000 protesters were staked out in the historical center of the French city of Strasbourg, near where the spouses were meant to visit a hospital and the city's renowned cathedral Saturday on the sidelines of a NATO summit.

Soon before the hospital visit was scheduled to begin, police fired tear gas to hold back protesters in other parts of the city trying to reach the center of town. The anti-war and anti-capitalist activists are protesting a summit marking NATO's 60th anniversary jointly hosted by Strasbourg and the German towns of Kehl and Baden-Baden.

An official in the French president's office says the hospital visit was cancelled at the last minute on recommendation of police for security reasons. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of presidential policy.
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(in anticipation) and will remain tight for a little while longer.


We've had to get a tourist visa to drive into France lately.

I keep being told it's not the actual anti-war protesters who are throwing things at police, breaking through police barricades, smashing store fronts - it's that at ever single event where these groups go, there are people who come just to ruin everything for the peaceful group. What I don't understand is why after decades of this going on, the organizers of these protests don't work closely with the police to make sure actual peace loving anti-war protesters are safe from the hoodlums who come to ruin the fun - that way the rubber bullets and tear gas never have to come out.

then come back and tell me how successful you were at vetting everyone that came to it, how much credibility the coppers give you and then tell me how you knew with certainty that some of the people who worked with your organisation were agent provocateurs.

Before anyone accuses me of tinfoilery I'd like to clarify that I do not think most of these numpties are undercover cops/security. I do have personal experience of groups being infiltrated by horrid Young Liberal (the right wing where I am right now) students and even worse virulently revolting students from the right faction of the ALP (who are further to the right than many actual conservatives) because it's the best way to get Mr and Mrs Average in the 'burbs to tut tut at their TV screens at the evil 'anarchists' and not think for a second about the actual issues being protested.

Getting people out on the streets is a task in itself - don't knock the organisers until you've done it.

and normally get things rolling in a crowd of mobbed flow. Remember when the cops were caught on tape manipulating the crowd at the RNC in NY. What makes peaceful protestors look like assholes.. rioting and smashing.. Its a line.. do you do things by force or by peace... some on the left could easily be on the right.. I'm not exactly sure if our species can do peace?