I was at the 2001 anti-FTAA protests in Québec city as a peaceful protester. The large majority were peaceful, however the Black Bloc were definitely not. I was very close to them and witnessed their tactics -which quite frankly made me very angry. I though it was profoundly unfair that their actions were what was going to make the news (this is the media's fault as well obviously). It is quite possible to decry police brutality (of which there was much in Québec; I had a friend who was an exch. student from Columbia who was nearly deported) and decry protester violence.

 Distinguising between breaking windows of one business versus another one is also irrelevant. Often franchise chains are owned locally. Breaking windows and destroying property is not the way to fight these chains/banks/businesses whose practices we disagree with. It is just pointless wanton destruction - especially at a time when the taxpayer is providing a lot of corporate welfare for these companies.

 Great piece by Rebick. It is very frustrating when a peaceful protest is derailed by yahoos after organizers have worked hard at bringing many groups together.