Police guard quebec's 'wall of shame' as summit opens

Police stood guard along a concrete and chain-link security wall and shop windows were boarded in Quebec today, but there was little sign of expected protests on the first day of the Summit of the Americas.

The centre of old Quebec looked like a Depression-era city, with plywood sheets covering the windows and signs reading ‘‘closed’’ on many doors.

A McDonald’s restaurant, often a target of anti-globalisation activists, even removed the lettering and trademark golden arches from its facade.

Activist groups opposed to the free-trade talks at the weekend summit of 34 Western Hemisphere leaders have said they intended to hold major demonstrations.

Police set up the security fence, dubbed the ‘‘Wall of Shame’’ by protesters, to prevent disruptions like the street clashes that derailed global trade talks in Seattle in 1999.

The 2.3 mile barrier surrounds several acres of the Canadian city, where the major summit venues are located.

Initial protests were peaceful. The largest was a candlelight procession by about 500 banner-waving marchers from a local university who stepped to a steady drum beat.

Police reported no major incidents, with two men arrested near the security wall for ‘‘an altercation’’ with officers.

The major demonstration planned for the summit was a Saturday march, with organisers expecting thousands from Canada, the United States and Latin America to take part.

Some activists said they also intended to protest along the security wall today to try to disrupt the arrival of some of the leaders and delegates.