Скачать или смотреть Security tight ahead of second day of G8 summit in L'Aquila

(9 Jul 2009)
Security at the Group of Eight (G8) summit venue in L'Aquila, Italy, continued to be tight on Thursday as leaders were to begin their second day of summit meetings.
Thousands of policemen have been deployed to the area in an effort to avoid the violence that marred the group's meeting in Genoa in 2001.
Roads in and around L'Aquila have been closed to traffic or protected by roadblocks, while many offices, restaurants and shops have closed down for the duration of the summit.
Italy is also reactivating border controls with European countries that are part of the Schengen agreement, which allows free travel among the countries.
The agreement has been suspended from until July 15, aviation officials said. The measure is mainly aimed at keeping track of protesters coming from abroad.
In 2001 thousands of protesters descended on the Italian city of Genoa during the G8 summit to champion a variety of causes, from debt relief to the environment.
A small group turned violent, torching cars, smashing windows and throwing stones and bottles at police, who used tear gas and clubs to battle back. Police faced accusations of brutality and incompetence for their handling of the protests.
There are demonstrations scheduled to take place in the Italian capital and at least one march has been scheduled in Abruzzo on Friday at the end of the summit.
Road blocks and the massive police deployment will make it hard for protesters to come anywhere near the summit venue.
G8 leaders on Thursday are to open up their forum to the five fastest developing market economies - Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa - tacit admission that their leadership alone is not enough to fix the world's major problems.
The so-called Group of Five, making their fifth straight appearance at the annual summit, albeit as invited guests, will discuss climate change, development aid, global economic growth and international trade with their Group of Eight counterparts - all topics touched on by G-8 leaders
meeting on their own Wednesday.
The summit was originally to be held on the Sardinian island of La Maddalena, but the Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi moved it to L'Aquila to draw attention to the population's plight.
Three months ago L'Aquila, in the central region of Abruzzo, was devastated by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed about 300 people, forced tens of thousands from their homes and levelled entire blocks in the mountain city.
Many of the local people are still living in temporary tented accommodation.
Italian officials have prepared emergency airlifts for the world leaders in the event of strong tremors hitting the area.
The complex hosting the talks and housing the leaders for three days and two nights already served as the headquarters of relief efforts in the aftermath of the massive earthquake which struck the area in April 2009.
It was also the site of the mass funeral for the earthquake victims.

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