Summit of the Americas: Hundreds Drawn From Around the World
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: In Canada, half a dozen people arrested, weapons and bomb material seized just prior to the start of the Summit of the Americas this weekend -- President Bush and his top administration officials will attend the trade summit along with other Western Hemisphere leaders. It has drawn hundreds from around the world. Authorities fear violence that disrupted trade meetings in the U.S. -- so that they have walled off part of Quebec City. CNN's John Vause is there -- hi, John.</s>JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Well, yes, that wall within a walled city, it's an incredible structure. It stretches for about 2 1/2 miles. It's made of concrete and cement. Protesters call it a "wall of shame." There's graffiti on it likening it to the Berlin Wall. In fact, security here is so tight that local residents need passes just to move around the downtown area. The wall is designed to protect the 34 heads of state who will be here and to try and keep the protesters as far away from the summit as possible, just part of the incredible security operation here, which will go -- which will go on for the next couple of days: six thousand police officers, all specially trained. The local jails have been cleared in anticipation of mass arrests. And shops have been boarded up -- in particular, American shops. We've seen stores like the Gap have been boarded up, as well as other local businesses, all trying to protect themselves in anticipation of those Seattle-style riots that we saw in December 1999.</s>MCEDWARDS: John Vause for us in Quebec City, thanks. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com