Protesters are planning to arrive early in Genoa, site of this year's summit of the Group of Eight big powers, to avoid being stopped at the border, a far-left group said Saturday.
Anti-globalisation activists will turn up in the port city beginning July 4th, more than two weeks before the July 20th - 22nd summit, said the group calling itself 'White Robes'.
Protests are planned for July 19th and 21th with some 100,000 people expected, part of some 600 groups, coalitions and other movements who hope to make their voices heard by the world's wealthiest governments, ‘White Robes’ said.
The group said local groups were already preparing for the arrival of the thousands of protesters and that they were planning to occupy the Lagaccio football field, on the heights of Genoa.
The group said local authorities "have no control over the territory since they have delegated everything to the government." Over 15,000 security forces and police are due to be deployed to safeguard the summit.
On July 7th, a special training session in civil disobedience is being organised as well as lessons for protesters in how to defend themselves against riot police and the effects of tear gas.
The results of a "referendum" on whether to invade a "red zone" set up by police around the Ducal Palace, planned site of the G8 summit due to be turned into an "impregnable fortress," will also be published, the group said.
AFP