Canada gears up for SPP protests

Pictures and report from rally in St Catherine's Niagara

On August 20-21 Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets in secret with George Bush and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico at Montebello, Quebec as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The SPP has as a goal the elimination of differences on standards between the USA, Canada and Mexico. Under this process Canada is already raising the quantities of pesticide residues that are allowed to be on food

Major protests are expected at the SPP next week - in advance of these local rallies are being held including one today in St Catherine's, Niagara. Speakers at the St Catherine's rally, held at 11.30 today, emphasized that while NAFTA meant jobs leaving this General Motors town for areas with less workplace safety regulation, the SPP would mean the minimum regulations of companies head quartered elsewhere could be imposed in St Catherine's.

Other speakers focused on the the attempt to impose a 25km exclusion zone despite the right to assemble supposedly guaranteed under the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms and drew a link between such methods and the training trips to Israel taken by top police officers.

March to city hall