Mass protests were met with tear gas and concussion grenades were thrown by police, who claimed demonstrators were storming buildings.

[2] Police claimed that their actions were justified in protecting delegates from "red-zone" attempts to break through the fence, as well as to violent protesters destroying property and attacking the police and the media.

[3] Many protesters accused the police of excessive force, claiming that the police's abundant use of tear gas and rubber bullets was both completely disproportionate to the scale of violence, and primarily directed at unarmed, peaceful demonstrators with dispersal of violent protesters an afterthought.

A number of protesters were severely injured by rubber bullets; also, tear gas canisters were fired directly at protesters on numerous occasions, in violation of the protocols governing their use.

Altogether, the anti-globalization movement described the actions of the police in Quebec City as an attempt to suppress dissent.