santa bush is coming to town....

[jeceris]

the man is coming this morning.

the streets in downtown ottawa are sealed off, no fly zone over the parliament buildings, and all the undercover police you can't see.

yes that is the scene this sunny brisk autumn day, as canadian prime minister paul martin gets ready to greet his american counterpart.

president bush will be here to discuss such issues as softwood lumber, and the ban on canadian beef, but mostly it's a friendly visit just to say "hi" to canadians in general.

bush was going to visit canada 4 yrs ago, but, then prime minister chretien, and his staff, couldn't seem to get it together, and allready had a fishing trip booked that day.

the last president to visit canada was bill clinton.

protesters by the busload await their turn to yell and scream and provoke pepper spray, but they will not be anywhere near the president and his entourage, as police has sealed off many of the streets around parliament hill and the american embassy.

but this reporter works in the thick of the protesters route, and will keep um forum members updated, that is, if they even care.

for now, this is jeceris from downtown ottawa.

[jeceris]

update......nothing.....i think they're having lunch.....no protesters on the street...............riveting i know.....stay tuned

[Guest]

hahahaha..... go to City Hall.

They aren't having lunch.

[jeceris]

you're right disinterested, they are now on the move.

5-10,000 protesters now cloggin the streets, chanting "bush go home" and

other anti-bush slogans.

they have a big effegee of bush and apparently plan to topple it to mock the toppling of sadams statue.

lots of people making lots of noise, so far seem well behaved, it's a little like the running of the bulls, only no bulls and no one is runnign, and it's not spain, but still it's something to behold with the choppers in the air, and cops on every corner.

they just came by the building i'm in, and are moving up to parliament hill.

hope it stays peaceful.

[Guest]

It looks very peaceful so far.

I think there is WAY more than 10,000 people marching. They're will probably be a few more thousand at the 5pm protest.

This is insane. Makes me happy to see so many people stand up for what they believe in.

[Edit]

Here's a web cam of the hill if anyone's interested in taking a look. Hill Cam

Edited November 30, 2004 by Guest

[jeceris]

you could be right dis.

i'm looking up metcalfe as they head up to the hill and it's a lot of people.

could be more than 10,00 as you say.

and it's impressive to see that many people standing up for their beliefs.

[Boff]

omg i was almost in stitches over this....

Whell...I..dont know what polls you guys look at..but we just took a poll to..

(When someone asked him about the polls that most canadians dont like him anymore).

[Guest]

Bush makes official visit to Canada

Trade, security issues on the agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush sought Tuesday to patch up relations with Canada after years of bickering, flying to the capital for talks with Prime Minister Paul Martin on trade, security and a host of tough hemispheric and global issues.

Bush's landing marked the first official visit by a U.S. president in nearly 10 years -- a meeting that was akin to a political dance where the president was trying to avoid any missteps that could amplify anti-Americanism north of the U.S. border.

Relations between the Bush administration and Canada got off to a rocky start when Bush, as a new president, chose Mexico instead of Canada as the first country he'd visit. Trade disputes and the war in Iraq further soured the friendship.

Martin, Canada's former finance minister and a wealthy shipping magnate, however, has repeatedly expressed a desire to rebuild U.S.-Canada relations, which cooled under his predecessor, Jean Chretien.

The dialogue became even more strained when Chretien decided against sending troops to Iraq -- a decision supported by more than 80 percent of Canadians.

"Under Chretien, relations were terrible," John Hulsman, research fellow in foreign policy at Heritage Foundation, said of the former prime minister whose aide called Bush a "moron" in November 2002.

Bush will not make a customary speech at the House of Commons in Ottawa where the sometimes raucous Parliament has been known to heckle speakers.

A few thousand demonstrators protested in the Canadian capital Tuesday, some holding signs calling Bush a "liar" and a "war criminal."

The two-day visit was expected to focus on creating goodwill, but thorny economic issues also were sure to arise at the meeting between the leaders whose nations have the world's largest trading partnership. The United States and Canada do more than $1 billion in business a day; 85 percent of Canada's exports go to the United States.

Bush and Martin also are expected to talk about security on the U.S.-Canada border, the war on terrorism and efforts to expand democracy to other corners of the world.

Canada stood with France and Germany in deciding not to send troops to Iraq, but pledged $300 million for reconstruction and is helping train Iraqi police officers in Jordan. Martin is expected to offer to send Canadian observers to help oversee January elections in Iraq.

On trade issues, the two nations are fighting over a tariff the United States has placed on imports of pine, spruce and other easy-to-saw softwood lumber logged in Canada. On average, the United States adds an extra 27 cents to every $1 worth of softwood lumber imported from four Canadian provinces.

U.S. officials accuse Canada of subsidizing the lumber business, saying it does not charge companies enough to log on public lands. Canada is challenging the tariff through international trade organizations. The World Trade Organization has sided with Canada in a series of preliminary rulings, but the dispute is far from over.

Also, Canadian ranchers are upset about the U.S. ban on live Canadian cattle that was imposed after a lone case of mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta in May 2003. The United States is Canada's biggest beef customer, and the U.S. ban has cost the Canadian cattle industry billions of dollars.

Bush will be served Alberta beef at a dinner tonight that Martin is hosting at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Under a rule recently drafted by the Agriculture Department, Canada would be allowed to resume exports of certain kinds of beef. That rule will be reviewed for the next several months by the Office of Management and Budget.

The United States and Canada are working jointly on environmental issues as well as health and safety standards and regulations that won't slow trade and economic exchange across North America, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, Bush will travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to give a speech, thanking Halifax and other maritime provinces that received tens of thousands of Americans stranded after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

More than 200 jetliners heading for the United States were diverted to Canada after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. About 7,000 people on 44 planes went to Halifax.

Source

[jeceris]

well sure that sums it up pretty good, but i think my initial freelance journalistic article said it better, and they never even mentioned the fishing trip.

it's quiet now.........maybe too quiet.

[Dancing_Dumplings]

and next on president bush's country tour will be Mexico! then its off to Brazil! then to Paris! then a hop, skip and a jump to Japan! and on his way home Austrailia!!! look out world! Bush is on a roll!

[Guest]

Brazil? Didn't he just come back from Chile?

[Dancing_Dumplings]

Brazil? Didn't he just come back from Chile?

379016[/snapback]

yeah but hes got to kiss up to the rest of south america

[jeceris]

for dinner tonight they're serving alberta beef medallions in a wine sauce.

i wonder if he's gonna eat it?

the protesters are starting to file off the hill, there's another big rally at 5:pm est.

tonight, the forecast is calling for 10 cm of snow continuing into tomorrow morning, mr bush's takeoff might be delayed, but it'll look christmassey.

[Stellar]

This is insane. Makes me happy to see so many people stand up for what they believe in.

If only they did it the proper way and didnt block traffic. I hate that.

Anyone have any pictures of the protesters in Ottawa?

i wonder if he's gonna eat it?

He'll eat it. It'll strain relations if he doesnt, IMO.

[Guest]

Stellar, I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures in the paper tomorrow

Or you can check cbc.ca later tonight.

[jeceris]

stellar

look at disinterested's 2nd post, there's a link to the hill cam, and that's parliament hill, camera looking down on protesters, that's where they ended up, but now they are starting to go home.

[Stellar]

stellar

look at disinterested's 2nd post, there's a link to the hill cam, and that's parliament hill, camera looking down on protesters, that's where they ended up, but now they are starting to go home.

379099[/snapback]

Wow, didnt look like what I expected honestly. I saw a couple of groups of protesters in those pics, was looking for different pictures...

Edited November 30, 2004 by Stellar

[Guest]

All I could find so far:

[jeceris]

they have just turned off the air conditioning in my building as they fear teargas is about to fly, and my boss has advised we leave, so i'm outa here,

talk tomorrow.

[Guest]

Eh I don't think anything will happen between now and 5pm.

Hey, my pics are gone. WTF.

pics are still there Dis , they may take awhile to load though

Edited November 30, 2004 by Guest

[retired UM]

woooo, i love to see lots of people, in a group, hating bush, =-)

[Scorpius]

I see your pics Disinterested.

They estimated the protest to grow to 15 000. We'll have to wait till it grows...

[Whom_God_Loves]

woooo, i love to see lots of people, in a group, hating bush, =-)

379245[/snapback]

Heard there were more media there than protesters, I seen a few hundred of them clowns on CBC with their signs Buck Fush, kinda looked like the Peace lovers were getting a little carried away as well, seen a few of them getting hauled off to jail.

GOOD

4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years

4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years 4 More Years

[girty1600]

I hope none of the protesters were hurt or police either.

[Thanato]

At least one Police officer was injured, no word on the protesters tho

~Thanato

P.S. I wish i was there but im stuck in central ontario with no ride :'(