Tight security on eve of G8 summit in L'Aquila

Jul 7, 2009, 7:47 GMT

L'Aquila, Italy - Tight security measures, including the deployment of 15,000 police and military, were in place Tuesday on the eve of a July 8-10 Group of Eight (G8) summit in the central Italian city of L'Aquila.

Roads connecting the summit venue - a sprawling police training school situated in the outskirts of L'Aquila - have been closed to all but authorized vehicles.

More than a dozen aircraft, including a technologically sophisticated unmanned Predator surveillance plane, are being used to thwart possible terrorist attacks targeting summit participants.

These include US President Barack Obama and other G8 leaders from Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Russia, as well as heads of government from such nations as China, India, Egypt. Libya's Moamer Gaddafi is also expected to attend.

Italian authorities have also vowed to prevent a reoccurrence of the violence that marred the last G8 summit held in Italy when, in 2001 in Genoa, anti-globalization demonstrators and police clashed, leaving scores injured and one person, a 23-year-old protestor, shot dead.

In an effort to block known violent agitators entering the country, Italy has suspended its participation in the Schengen Agreement, which allows barrier-free travel within several European Union states.

Demonstrations are expected during the summit, beginning with a sit-in protest later Tuesday in Rome's Piazza Barberini square - not far from the US Embassy - and culminating with a march to L'Aquila's city centre on Friday.

Italy initially planned to host the summit on the Sardinian island of La Maddalena.

But Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi later opted for L'Aquila, saying it would help generate funds for the city, which was devastated in an April earthquake in which almost 300 people were killed and some 60,000 left homeless.

Experts say the police training school is built to withstand almost any earthquake that might strike the area. However, authorities say helicopters will be on standby to lift summit participants to safety in case of an emergency.