Protestors Gather As
Ex-Presidents Bush And Clinton Hit TownFriday May 29, 2009
CityNews.ca Staff
They started to gather slowly, leading to a bigger and bigger build-up. They were a long way away from the entrance to the Metro Convention Centre but they made their voices heard.
Several hundred protestors gathered outside the Front St. complex Friday to greet the arrival of two former U.S. presidents. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were making rare appearances here together to give speeches on the future of the world in the 21st century.
But some of the angry demonstrators were more concerned about the past. Many carried signs with pictures of Bush and the words "War Criminal," "#1 Terrorist" and "Guilty!"on them, charging that the ex-president committed crimes during his time in office.
At one point, some members of the crowd turned to a large poster of Bush and began throwing shoes at it (below) - an echo of a similar world famous incident that took place in Iraq during his visit there in December 2008.
It appears the Republican former head of state was the object of most of the vitriol. The past few occasions that Bill Clinton has appeared in town, he's been greeted more like a rock star hero than a political target.
Clinton leaves the Four Seasons Hotel for the Convention CentreBut Clinton wasn't the object of everyone's affection. Some demonstrators lumped him in with Bush and also chastised Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In his presentation, Clinton admitted he was grateful for Canada's help against the Taliban, noting the U.S. has never had a better ally. Both men seemed to get along fine, though they're clearly political opposites.
Other topics: Cuba and the mandatory passport rule for Canadians entering into the U.S., a rule which goes into effect on Monday.
Security was very tight, with cops out in full force and police dogs checking the area for explosives or anything untoward. Protestors weren't the only ones being held at bay - reporters were also shut out of the proceedings and not a single word of the conversation between the two former leaders was recorded by the press. Cameras were also banned from the proceedings.
The other crowd at the Convention Centre were those actually attending the function. Organizers have confirmed the show was a sellout, with more than 6,000 paying to hear them talk. But those numbers are somewhat deceptive - the chat wasn't entirely a hot ticket and didn't sell out until the last minute, thanks to a walk up crowd and reduced prices.
Many who paid to see the meeting of these two minds say it was worth the price of admission. "George W. Bush surprised me with his humour and his ability to entertain the crowd," reveals Caroline Copeman. "He's got such a bad reputation but for being a bad speaker, but he was great."
Still not everyone was convinced. "It was a lot of talk about nothing," complains Terry Baine. "I mean what can you imagine from two ex-presidents who presumably are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, at least in the United States?"
Organizers refuse to say how much either man was paid for their efforts. Clinton has pulled down $325,000 in previous speeches. Bush is newer to the ex-presidential rubber chicken circuit but in a recent address in Calgary, he reportedly earned $140,000. Not bad for such short chats. Clinton spoke for about 21 minutes. Bush only let loose for 11.
News footage surrounding this event can be seen here:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1632714912?bctid=24707750001News footage of part of the protest can be found here:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1632714912?bctid=24705402001
