The evaluation of many intellectuals and activists who were present this last Sunday in Quebec is that the Second Summit of the People of the Americas ended more as the Summit of Shame. This was observed on Sunday when the People's March organized by trade
unions and NGOs marched 5 kilometers outside of the city towards an empty parking lot instead of marching towards the center of political happenings, towards the center of decisions. Their principal argument was that the March of the People was pacific, they did not desire any confrontation with the police, and that they were in fact making a symbolic gesture turning their backs to the America Summit of the Latin American state leaders.

Actually, once again, trade union and NGO leaders abandoned 20 thousand comrades and young people that were being massacred by some 7 thousand soldiers around what was baptized as the Wall of Shame to protect the Latin American state leaders. Even worse, it was revolting to find out that the organizers of the People's March contracted 1,500 security officers to throw out any young people or anarchists that might infiltrate their demonstration. During that weekend, 450 youths were arrested, a 16 year old was seriously wounded when he received a plastic bullet in the head, near the Wall of Shame a gas bomb thrown by the police exploded in the room of a 5 month old baby, and an elderly women
of 87 was taken to the hospital after suffering from breathing problems due to the cloud of gas that covered the center of Quebec City.

Different from what the trade unions and NGOs who organized the People's Summit might think, the MST (Landless People's Movement, Brazil) and the Zapatistas have been involved in confrontations with authorities and have been imprisoned, killed and accused of being radicals. But they have also achieved victories exactly because they have confronted power. In the last 8 years, the Zapatistas have confronted 150 thousand soldiers, and in their region there have been 15 thousand refugees and 1,000 dead. During the last 8 years of the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government in Brazil, 1,003 small farmers have been assassinated (only 600 were assassinated during the 25 years of military dictatorship in Brazil). Between 1995 and 2000, 933 members of the MST were assassinated and 1,500 leaders were arrested. Without struggle no one would know about the indigenous of Chiapas. Without land and official banking institution occupations the MST would not have won land and dignity for 275 thousand poor families.

It was frustrating to see that the People's March turned its back to the center of Quebec. Jesus did not go to Bethlehem, but to Jerusalem. The Zapatistas did not march to Acapulco, but to Mexico City. The MST did not march to Jundiai, but to Brasilia. The youth of the world
understood this and marched to Seattle, Washington and today to Quebec. The People's Summit should have marched to Frontenac Castle and the Congress Center, not far away from struggle.

Today all of the newspapers and TV journals, the state leaders of the Americas, the Quebec minister of security and the police chiefs are commemorating the success of the pacific march and attacking the anarchy provoked by a "radical minority". The trade unions and NGOs thus
guaranteed room to negotiate their demands. The Americas Summit organizers also thank the organizers of the People's March for giving the people a real example of civility: vote quietly, demonstrate pacifically and stay far away from the center of decision making.

If the trade unions and NGOs had marched towards the center of Quebec City and the Wall of Shame in solidarity with the young activists, they would have lost the crumbs of the rich, but history would have been different