6 Canadians Arrested Days Before Summit of Americas

Six Canadians accused of planning violence at this weekend’s Summit of the Americas have been arrested, and officials Wednesday displayed seized weapons that included small explosives and smoke grenades.

Inspector Robert Poeti of the Quebec Provincial Police said increased security for the Friday-Sunday summit, where 34 leaders from the Western Hemisphere will gather, led to the arrests of two 21-year-old men driving into Quebec City and four men in the Montreal area.

The arrests occurred Tuesday and Wednesday. Police recovered the explosives and grenades along with flammable liquid, baseball bats, gas masks and pointed sticks, Poeti said.

Poeti said that a Canadian military reservist and a former member of the military were among the six arrested and that some of the explosive materials seized were military-issue.

Police would not identify the arrested men, who face charges including possession of explosives, stealing military supplies and conspiring to endanger public safety.

Huge protests are planned during the summit by anti-globalization activists arriving from around the world. Shopkeepers have boarded up many stores, and Canadian authorities have erected a 2 1/2-mile concrete and wire fence to prevent the activists from getting near the summit site.