Gleneagles Hotel to host next G8 summit
10/06/2004 17:15
http://northtonight.grampiantv.co.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1_1_1&newsid=4038
Prime Minister Tony Blair will confirm later that the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire will host next year's G8 summit. Scotland's biggest security operation, involving thousands of police officers will be mounted to protect the world leaders and the local community.
This week police have been on duty at Gleneagles for the Diageo golf championships. Strictly no entry to the hotel and grounds for the general public, guests and golfers have been issued with special passes.
The hotel management took some persuading to let us in to report, so just imagine how tight security's going to be when the leaders of the world's eight most powerful industrialised countries turn up here next July.
This year's G8 summit is drawing to a close on an island off Georgia in America. At nine o'clock GMT, Prime Minister Tony Blair will hold a press conference where he'll confirm Scotland's worst kept secret, that the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire is the venue for next year's three day summit.
A ring of steel will be thrown around the hotel and thousands of police officers will be drafted in as Scotland mounts its biggest ever security operation.
Rioting and the death of an anti-globalisation protestor marred the 2001 summit in Genoa and internet chatter has already started about ways of disrupting the Gleneagles event. There's also the potential threat of a terrorist attack.
The neighbouring town of Auchterarder will be drawn into the G8 security merry-go-round. Senior Tayside police officers are in Georgia, finding out how the Americans have handled this year's largely peaceful event. Policing Gleneagles with its rural location and rolling grounds will present a very different challenge.
10/06/2004 17:15
http://northtonight.grampiantv.co.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1_1_1&newsid=4038 Prime Minister Tony Blair will confirm later that the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire will host next year's G8 summit. Scotland's biggest security operation, involving thousands of police officers will be mounted to protect the world leaders and the local community.
This week police have been on duty at Gleneagles for the Diageo golf championships. Strictly no entry to the hotel and grounds for the general public, guests and golfers have been issued with special passes.
The hotel management took some persuading to let us in to report, so just imagine how tight security's going to be when the leaders of the world's eight most powerful industrialised countries turn up here next July.
This year's G8 summit is drawing to a close on an island off Georgia in America. At nine o'clock GMT, Prime Minister Tony Blair will hold a press conference where he'll confirm Scotland's worst kept secret, that the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire is the venue for next year's three day summit.
A ring of steel will be thrown around the hotel and thousands of police officers will be drafted in as Scotland mounts its biggest ever security operation.
Rioting and the death of an anti-globalisation protestor marred the 2001 summit in Genoa and internet chatter has already started about ways of disrupting the Gleneagles event. There's also the potential threat of a terrorist attack.
The neighbouring town of Auchterarder will be drawn into the G8 security merry-go-round. Senior Tayside police officers are in Georgia, finding out how the Americans have handled this year's largely peaceful event. Policing Gleneagles with its rural location and rolling grounds will present a very different challenge.
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Another pre-announcement article
10.06.2004 18:38
The Prime Minister is expected to announce that the G8 summit of the industrial nations will be held at Gleneagles next year. The announcement will lead to a major security operation for Scottish Police forces as the world's major international leaders jet into Scotland.
The announcement will lead to a major security operation for Scottish police forces as the world's major international leaders jet into Scotland.
The G8 conference discusses affairs which affect the world. It started way back in 1975, then the club was of the six leading industrial countries and back then the agenda was very much concerned with global economic issues, particularly in relation to the price of oil.
Since then the political agenda has very much broadened. Russia was admitted as a member of the club back in 1997. The current summit is taking place on Sea Island in the United States and is discussing everything from the Middle East peace process to emerging African nations and that means that world leaders outwith the G8 countries also attend.
While it has not yet been confirmed that it will come to Gleneagles, but there is no doubt if it does, it will be a major coup for Scotland.
Security plays a major factor in deciding where to host these particular conferences. The current one is taking place at Sea Island in the United States. It is a privately owned island some five miles by two and is, therefore, relatively self-contained in terms of policing the major event. This event will represent a major challenge for Scotland.
Gleneagles is relatively comfortably situated for Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports and there are very good motorway links to rural Perthshire. The major challenge will be for Scottish police forces. It will be them who will have to police the event.
It will also be a challenge for surrounding hotels. There will be a posse of foreign journalist which will descend on rural Perthshire. Not since the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in 1997 will security in Scotland have been so tight.
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10/06/2004 17:59
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Another Media Article...
10.06.2004 21:25
And here`s the full text of the article:
Scots police travel to America to study G8 security
A TEAM of senior Scottish police officers has flown out to the G8 summit in the US to study the massive security operation before next summer's meeting in Gleneagles.
Chief superintendent Brian Powrie, the Tayside Police officer in charge of provisional planning for next year's event, and a chief inspector, have flown out to Sea Island, Georgia, despite the fact the UK location has not yet been officially announced.
The summit of world leaders, which began yesterday on the US island, focused on the future of Iraq, plans to fight famine in the Horn of Africa, the eradication of polio and development of an HIV vaccine.
Between 10,000 and 20,000 federal, state and local officers were on duty yesterday in Sea Island, the adjoining St Simons Island, the nearby city of Brunswick on the mainland, and in Savannah, 80 miles north. Security was heightened because of concerns that al Qaeda might target the event.
Coastguard boats with mounted machine guns were patrolling the Savannah River between the summit's media centre on Hutchinson Island and the city's riverfront. A long, parallel set of 7ft, metal-mesh fences protected the only road that leads to the island, where federal agents stood guard.
The security operation included concrete barriers, metal fencing, checkpoints around key buildings and routes and patrol boats armed with machine guns.
It was hoped that holding the summit on an island would facilitate security services operations and reduce the number of anti-capitalist protesters.
The officers from Tayside are thought to have flown out as part of the Scottish planning operation.
Although the UK venue has not yet been officially announced, Tony Blair, the prime minister, is expected to confirm Gleneagles tomorrow.
Police in Scotland have predicted that up to 9000 officers may be required to secure the area around the Gleneagles Hotel and nearby cities. Anti-capitalist groups are already planning protests.
Some 25,000 police and military personnel were deployed by France and Switzerland to counter protesters and the risk of terrorism at the meeting in Evian in June 2002. All eight Scottish police forces are expected to cancel annual leave for most of June because of concerns about the level of security required for the summit at Gleneagles.
Tayside and Lothian and Borders police forces have already informed staff that it will not be possible to book holidays during the two-week period in 2005.
A source in Scotland said: "Officers from Tayside have gone out to look at the security operation in the States.
"The reality is that the annual leave will be cancelled for officers across Scotland once this is officially announced.
"Historically the summit has been a massive resourcing issue for the police and the question is how we are going to handle it. Tayside are going to ask for mutual aid from every single force in Scotland and even then we don't know if we have got enough officers. We are going to have to do a lot of additional training."
A spokesman for Tayside Police said he could neither confirm nor deny media reports about G8 because no official announcement had been made.
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Expect to see the official media relase re the G8 on the 2004 G8
webiste here:
Or check out the official site at: www.g8savannah.com
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Keep checking out the Dissent! Network website for info about the anti-G8 mobilisation in the UK: www.dissent.org.uk
Come to the next national Dissent! Network Gathering in Bradford on the first weekend in July:
sdfsdf
g8 resistance promo
10.06.2004 22:58
j25
Homepage:
http://j25.org
BBC Article
10.06.2004 23:08
BBC Thursday, 10 June, 2004, 21:28 GMT 22:28 UK
The remote location of Gleneagles will help security
Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed that the next G8 summit of the world's leading economies will take place at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire.
The UK will take over the presidency of the economic forum in 2005 and the leaders of the world's most powerful countries are expected to meet in July.
Mr Blair was speaking at the end of this year's G8 meeting in the USA.
He confirmed that the next event would take place in Scotland and problems in Africa would be high on the agenda.
Extra police
Gleneagles has many attractions as the venue for a summit.
It is large enough to cope with world leaders and their entourages and it is relatively remote, making it attractive from a security point of view.
Previous summits have been the target of anti-globalisation protesters.
Last year, 50,000 of them fought with riot police in Evian in France.
It is thought that thousands of extra police would be drafted in to provide 24-hour cover for the world leaders.
The G8 leaders come from the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Russia, France, Germany and Italy.
Mr Blair said: "A major part of the G8 at Gleneagles will be the work of the Africa commission, which we have established, and the report back from that.
"Hopefully then we will have a series of actions from the G8 in order to make progress there."
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The Independent Article
10.06.2004 23:10
The Independent
By Colin Brown and James Burleigh
11 June 2004
Gleneagles, the five-star hotel in Scotland famed for its world-class golf courses, is to host the next G8 conference.
Tony Blair was planning to use his end-of-conference briefing at this year's G8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, to announce that leaders of the world's eight leading industrialised nations will meet next year at the famous golfing hotel near the town of Auchterarder, Perthshire.
The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, stole a march on Mr Blair by informing the Italian press that the leaders had all been invited to Scotland. Mr Berlusconi said Mr Blair told them: "You will all have to wear kilts."
The resort, once owned by British Rail, was chosen because it is isolated, which will make it easier to keep protesters away.
It is estimated that the cost of the security operation at Gleneagles could run as high as £150m.
Yesterday an anarchist group's website published ideas for disrupting the event. One anti-capitalist campaigner suggested closing down Edinburgh airport and the Forth Bridge. Another said: "I would stop all cars going north or south. We have two bridges and two or three main roads to the west. It can be done."
Gleneagles opened in 1924 and, according to its own website, it became known as "a riviera in the Highlands" and rather grandly as the "eighth wonder of the world".
In the 1950s, the hotel became a fixed part of high society's calendar - after the London "season", it was yachting at Cowes, polo at Deauville and golf and grouse shooting at Gleneagles.
In 1993, the £5.9m PGA Centenary Course, designed by the American golfer Jack Nicklaus, opened alongside the renowned King's and Queen's courses.
Senior British officials disclosed that the Prime Minister will make Africa and global warming the twin priorities for the British G8 summit.
Yesterday, the G8 leaders agreed a range of measures to ease the African debt burden and train 75,000 African soldiers to bring peace to countries reduced to abject poverty by civil wars.
The threatened attacks by anarchists in Sea Island failed to materialise, leaving an estimated 20,000 police, guards and special forces all armed to the teeth with little to do but check security passes all week. There were armed patrol boats in the river, Patriot ground-to-air missiles on the beaches, and F-16 fighters launched from an aircraft carrier off the southern coast of America. But virtually no protesters turned up in the billionaires' coastal resort where the leaders - from the US, Britain, Canada, Japan, Russia, France, Germany and Italy - have been staying in beach houses.
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The Scotsman (PA News Article)
10.06.2004 23:31
12:01am (UK)
By Jon Smith, Political Editor, PA News in Savannah, Georgia
Prime Minister Tony Blair got his apology in first for foisting the G8 summit on the people of Gleneagles – and judging by the experience of Savannah he was probably wise.
The cosy Georgia town in American’s Deep South has seen streets closed, restaurants empty, bars shut, hotel rooms booked and unbooked at the whim of the secret service – and it was not even the main venue for this year’s gathering.
The summit, which ended yesterday, saw the world leaders meeting on remote Sea Island, 80 miles to the south.
It became an armed camp, sealed off by 8ft high steel fences with access controlled through road blocks and rolling steel mesh gates.
Surface to air missiles were stationed on its beaches and an aircraft carrier, complete with F16 fighters to protect its air space, stood over the horizon.
Helicopter after helicopter clattered overhead during the three day gathering in the watchful gaze of secret service agents, state troopers, marshals, US Customs and coastguard and even immigration service officials.
There were 10,000 law enforcement officers alone involved in the summit, as well as hundreds of troops.
In Savannah, where many delegations and most of the media were based, local business people despaired at the disruption to the start of their annual tourist season.
Restaurants closed before 9pm for want of custom, with owners often reduced to standing on the pavement hailing passers-by with the cry: “Isn’t anybody hungry?”
Shops shut down or reduced their opening hours and one taxi driver asked: “When are we all going to get our town back?”
Although hotel rates undoubtedly rocketed for the summit, owners expressed frustration at the way bookings were frequently switched round for unexplained security reasons, sometimes leaving them with a host of empty rooms.
Asked if he wanted to apologise to Gleneagles for what it is about to receive, Mr Blair replied simply: “Yes, is probably the answer.”
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Another Scotsman Article
11.06.2004 00:34
The Scotsman
Fri 11 Jun 2004
SECURITY at this year’s G8 global summit, which concluded last night, was so tight that even the media were kept 90 miles away. At first sight, this appeared a suitable metaphor for a seemingly dying institution: isolated from real world events.
Regular summits of the big industrial nations emerged as a way of tackling the stagflation and oil crises of the turbulent 1970s and 1980s. Their rationale was practical: how to co-ordinate international economic growth. But in the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War and the start of a long economic boom, such summits degenerated into pointless photo-opportunities and, latterly, became the focus for violent, anti-globalist demonstrations. However, the 2004 G8 might just mark a return to a more positive agenda.
In the first place, the nihilistic demonstrators have disappeared. They had nothing serious to put in place of the existing world order, imperfect as it may be. Second, the world has become more dangerous since the 1990s, and that has forced the G8 to start addressing real issues again.
The agenda this week was eminently practical. There was a plan for political and economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa, as a way of removing the causes of terrorism. This includes training teachers to extend literacy to 20 million people in the region by 2015. The G8 also issued a stern warning, calling on the government of Sudan to disarm the militias in its western Darfur region and blamed them for massive human-rights violations.
Of course, the effectiveness of this G8 summit depends on what happens next in Africa and the Middle East, but at least the conference was addressing the right subjects. Which bodes well for the 2005 G8 summit, due to be held at Gleneagles Hotel - where the media will be a lot closer to the action.
See also part of:
PM SORRY FOR GLENEAGLES G8 CHAOS
TONY Blair, the Prime Minister, announced last night that the 2005 G8 gathering will be held at the exclusive Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder.
The Perthshire town - best known as a destination for golfing holidays - will be swamped by police and security forces as the most powerful politicians in the world descend. There are already fears that anti-capitalist protesters could target the event.
Thousands of police will be drafted in to provide the extra security and close local roads.
Asked if he should apologise to the people of the area for the mayhem that would come with the G8 summit, Mr Blair said with a smile on his face: "Yes, I suppose I should."
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Guardian on G8
11.06.2004 00:36
G8 changes nothing, but for Bush and Blair the timing was perfect
Larry Elliott in Georgia
Friday June 11, 2004
The Guardian
It's nigh on 500 years since a British leader first attended a summit, and not much has changed in the meantime. Back in 1520, Cardinal Wolsey set up a meeting between his boss, Henry VIII, and Francis I of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The meeting lasted for three weeks, almost bankrupted the French treasury and - guess what - was a total flop.
This year's shindig in Sea Island was, mercifully, much briefer, although it lacked a wrestling contest between Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac to match that between the protagonists in 1520 (Francis won). Instead, the participants contented themselves with verbal jousting, with Chirac doing his best to rain on George Bush's parade. And unlike Henry and Francis, they hailed the talks as a runaway success. Rule one of summits is that they are always successful, never failures.
For Bush and Blair this year the summit took on added significance. Both are in trouble at home, both are facing elections and both know that a couple of days strutting the global stage is just what the spin doctor ordered.
For all that, the G8 is taking a long, hard look at itself - and not before time. The meetings have been held every year since 1975, and real - as opposed to synthetic - triumphs have been few and far between. Cologne in 1999 was the last time the G8 could point to a meeting that actually delivered, and that was the result of the city being invaded by tens of thousands of peaceful campaigners demanding that the leaders of the west deliver debt relief.
Since the violence at the Genoa summit in July 2001 and the events of September 11 two months later, however, the meetings have taken place in remote locations behind a total security screen. The Canadians held the 2002 summit deep in the Rockies, this year's was held on a spit of land off the coast of Georgia and next year, when Britain hosts, the gang will be showing up at Gleneagles.
The plan is simple: choose as remote a location as possible, throw a ring of steel around the leaders of the west, seek to convince a rightly sceptical public that you have solved the problems of the world in 48 hours of chinwagging, and hope that nobody holds you to account when you all meet up again in a year's time.
To be fair, this year's G8 was more focused. The Americans adopted a business-like approach, concentrating on a small number of issues, such as trade and HIV/Aids, rather than the usual canter round every global issue from nuclear decommissioning in the Ukraine to the provision of clean water in Africa.
The intended centrepiece of the summit, however, was Bush's greater Middle East initiative, and there the lack of real achievement highlighted the intrinsic weaknesses of the G8 framework. The exclusivity of the club means that non-members bridle when they are lectured by the rich and powerful. Arab feathers were predictably ruffled by the clumsiness of Bush's initiative, which looked like an attempt to foist American values on the region.
Moreover, the G8 convoy can only move at the speed of its slowest ship. The need to bring everyone along means that the gap between the analysis of a problem and actually doing something to solve it is agonisingly slow. It is a fact of life, albeit an unfortunate one, that Tony Blair can give the Bank of England independence within five days of coming to power, yet can spend five years banging his head against a brick wall over debt relief. Although the most pressing problems today are global problems, the international policy-making framework is weak. Some subjects on which the G8 could and ought to take a lead - climate change being the prime example - are never mentioned because it would expose too many rifts. So what's to be done as the G8 approaches its 30th birthday? Bush's conclusion that less is more is the right one. It is naive to believe that the G8 can solve all the world's problems: it can't and never could. Blair wants to use next year's summit to deliver on development and Africa, but he will fail if he allows the meeting to be sidetracked.
The prime minister might also like to bring some of new Labour's passion for targets to the G8. The summit communiques are toothless; they hold nobody to account and are instantly forgotten. Setting definable and ambitious goals would, of course, raise the risk of the G8 being seen to fail, but it would also improve its chances of being successful.
Finally, a long, hard look at the summit's membership is long overdue. The world has changed since the mid-1970s, and if the G8 was being created today it would include China and India, and perhaps Brazil. Canada and Italy, by contrast, would struggle to find a seat at the top table, which is why Paul Martin and Silvio Berlusconi are keen on expanding the G8 to a G20. That would be disastrous: eight is enough. More than enough.
Larry Elliott is the Guardian's economics editor
Guardian G8 Special reports:
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Glasgow Daily Record
11.06.2004 01:51
Glasgow Daily Record - Glasgow, Scotland,UK
Jun 11 2004
What we'll pitch in to protect world leaders for G8 summit at Gleneagles
By Pippa Crerar
SCOTLAND is to host the G8 summit of world leaders, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced yesterday.
Representatives of the richest nations on Earth will gather next June at the golfers' paradise of Gleneagles.
And the largest security operation in Scottish history, costing a colossal £150million, has been launched.
Thousands of police officers will patrol the grounds and guard the area around the five-star Gleneagles Hotel, where the VIPs will be staying.
Blair will be hosting the winner of this November's US presidential election, along with French president Jacques Chirac and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The leaders of Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan will also attend.
Security experts from the USA have already visited Scotland to discuss possible terrorist threats.
And Britain's spy chiefs in MI5 will also play a major role.
An insider said: 'This is a prime target for a terrorist strike.
'So it makes sense that the security forces are heavily involved.'
The PM said hosting the event would bring prestige to Scotland and which was seen during anti-capitalist protests at previous summits in Seattle and Genoa.
The golfing mecca could also be a target for al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups.
All police leave has been cancelled during the summit and security forces will be on a state of high alert.
More than half of Scotland's serving officers will help to police the event.
And, from yesterday, any staff taken on at Gleneagles Hotel will not be allowed to work during the summit.
Existing employees will have to use a hi-tech entry system to pass through security barriers.
The CCTV system at Gleneagles has also been upgraded.
It is believed the VIPs will arrive at Gleneagles by flying to RAF Leuchars in Fife and taking a chartered train.
Commonwealth leaders gathered at Gleneagles Hotel in 1977 and Nato defence ministers met there in 1992.
Britain takes over the chairmanship of the G8 from America in 2005.
Security at this year's summit in the US, which ended last night, was overwhelming.
Sea Island, off the coast of Georgia, was sealed off by land, air and sea.
Concrete barriers, metal fencing and checkpoints surrounded key buildings and routes on the mainland.
Thousands of police and National Guard troops patrolled roads and bridges while military aircraft and gunboats monitored the waters.
Meanwhile, on the last day of this year's G8 meeting, Blair and Bush tried to paper over fresh splits on Iraq.
They unveiled plans to train 50,000 peace-keepers, who will initially focus on war-torn regions of Africa.
But French opposition to the idea of using Nato troops in Iraq caused fury among British andUS officials.
President Chirac said: 'I don't think it is Nato's purpose to intervene in Iraq.'help promote tourism, making it well worth the massive security cost.
The local economy will receive a huge boost as thousands of delegates descend on the sleepy Perthshire town of Auchterarder.
Hotels will be packed, restaurants full, and shops will struggle to meet demand during the three-day event.
Police chiefs are confident they can prevent a repeat of the violence...
...NOTE: obviously the line from earlier in the text was meant to be here..."which was seen during anti-capitalist protests at previous summits in Seattle and Genoa."
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Scotsman - "full force of the law"
11.06.2004 12:33
Friday 11th June
By Joe Quinn, Political Editor, Scottish Press Association
Police today warned “the full force of the law” would be used against any demonstrators seeking to wreck next year’s G8 summit in Scotland.
But senior officers also held out an olive branch to mainstream protest groups who may be planning to demonstrate peacefully at the Gleneagles event, urging them to make advance arrangements with police.
Confirmation that the golfing and hotel complex in Perthshire is to be the venue for next year’s summit of the world’s richest countries came last night from Prime Minister Tony Blair as this year’s G8 drew to a close at Sea Island, Georgia.
The event will be held at Gleneagles from July 6 to 8.
The decision, said to have been made personally by Mr Blair from a shortlist of potential venues in Britain, was welcomed by First Minister Jack McConnell as an opportunity for Scotland to project an image of “a confident modern Scotland”.
“The summit will provide a unique opportunity to raise the profile of Scotland as a destination, a business location, and as a potential place to live,” he said.
“We will seize that opportunity and showcase our ambitions for Scotland.”
Even before Mr Blair’s confirmation of what had been widely speculated for months, some local residents of Auchterarder, the town nearest the hotel, had voiced misgivings about the impact of the world’s most powerful politicians, complete with police and security forces and possibly attracting thousands of demonstrators as well, on their area.
But police and the local council today sought to address their anxieties.
William Bald, assistant chief constable of Tayside force, which sent four officers to observe policing at this year’s G8, said a dedicated planning team for next year’s event was already in place.
And police would be working with local people to manage the necessary disruption and address any concerns they may have, said Mr Bald.
“Whilst there is no current intelligence to suggest that the more extreme reports are accurate, in the planning of an event of this nature a great deal of information gathering is undertaken and we will react to that information accordingly.”
He said the G8 had passed off peacefully in Georgia and went on to tell a press conference in Perth: “Tayside police is planning a major security operation but one which will allow those who want to protest peacefully and lawfully to be able to do so.
“The police service in Scotland support lawful protest and before any protesters come to the Gleneagles area we would hope they would engage with us to reach solutions that are acceptable to everyone, including members of the local community in Auchterarder and further afield.”
But he warned: “Any groups intent on causing any unlawful disruption in or around the Gleneagles area can rest assured that they will be dealt with using the full force of the law.”
He acknowledged the event would involve “significant” police numbers and mutual aid being called in from other Scottish forces and from forces elsewhere in the UK.
He declined to estimate the numbers of police that will be required, saying: “The number of officers who will be called in for duty in or around the summit will be the number necessary to provide for the safety and security of the event – no more, no less.”
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Evening Telegraph
11.06.2004 23:41
Evening Telegraph
11 June 2004
Andy Kerr MSP (right) looks at the Perth and Kinross web site with Provost Bob Scott and Assistant Chief Constable Willie Bald.
World leaders and the people of Perthshire will be given equal priority when Tayside Police mount the biggest security operation the area has ever seen at next year’s Gleneagles G8 summit, writes Eric Nicolson.
Prime Minister Tony Blair announced last night that the luxury Perthshire resort is to host the annual gathering of eight industrial nations — the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Russia, France, Germany and Italy — next July.
In previous years protesters have latched onto the event, and with the threat of terrorism looming larger than ever before, locals have expressed their reservations about the world spotlight falling on Perthshire.
Assistant Chief Constable of Tayside Police, Willie Bald, this morning moved to assure the public that his force is ready for the challenge that hosting the G8 summit poses.
He said, “Tayside Police welcomes and is looking forward to policing the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles. The decision by the UK government to hold the summit at Gleneagles is recognition of the international reputation of the police service in Scotland.
“The eyes of the world will be on Scotland and our country’s police service before, during, and after the event. This is an opportunity to show the rest of the world just how well we can police such a major event but also, more generally, to showcase Perthshire on the world stage.
“Tayside Police and the other forces in Scotland have vast experience of policing major and large events and I am confident that our collective experience and professionalism will make this a summit to remember — for all the right reasons.
“We recognise that there will also be some understandable concerns about the impact of the summit on local communities. That is why we are already working closely with Perth & Kinross Council and many other agencies to ensure we have everything in place to make the summit a peaceful and safe one for everyone involved — both the world leaders and local residents.
“A dedicated planning team for the event is already in place and over the course of the next year we will be working with members of the local community to manage the necessary disruption and to address any concerns they may have.”
Four police officers from Tayside have been in Georgia, in the United States, this week for the 2004 G8 summit, and ACC Bald was keen to stress that it has passed off peacefully.
“Tayside Police is planning a major security operation but one which will allow those who want to protest peacefully and lawfully to be able to do so. The police service in Scotland supports lawful protest and before any protesters come to the Gleneagles area we would hope that they would work closely with us to reach solutions that are acceptable to everyone, including members of the local community in Auchterarder and further afield.
“Any groups intent on causing any lawful disruption in or around the Gleneagles area can rest assured they will be dealt with using the full force of the law.”
Aid, as required, will be available from other forces across Scotland and the UK. ACC Bald admitted that it was a “reasonable scenario to speculate on” that protesters may choose other parts of Scotland rather than Gleneagles itself as the focal point for their demonstrations.
Chief Executive of Perth & Kinross Council, Bernadette Malone, described the county as the “perfect backdrop” for the G8 summit and pointed out that the local authority’s key priority before and during the summit is to “ensure the local community are kept fully informed”.
The Minister for Finance and Public Services, Andy Kerr MSP, represented the Scottish Executive at today’s G8 announcement in Perth.
He said, “This is great news for Scotland. We will be working closely with Perth & Kinross Council and Tayside Police to make sure the world leaders receive a warm Perthshire welcome. I’m confident we will put on an excellent event.”
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G8 Protesters get stern warning
11.06.2004 23:44
Grampian TV
11/06/2004 17:49
Protestors are being warned they'll be met with the full force of the law if they try to disrupt next year's G8 summit in Perthshire. But Tayside Police, who're co-ordinating the massive security operation, want to help peaceful demonstrations to go ahead.
Headline news in Auchterarder, the G8 summit as announced last night by Prime Minister Tony Blair, is coming to neighbouring Gleneagles Hotel. It was a hot topic of conversation as locals collected their morning papers.
Talking up the announcement at a press conference in Perth were representatives from the Scottish Executive, Perth and Kinross Council and Tayside Police. Finance Minister Andy Kerr confirmed the cost of staging the summit, likely to run to several hundred million pounds will be met by the treasury.
But it's the security operation, the biggest ever in Scotland that most people want to know about. Especially how the police will cope if hundreds of protestors turn up and cause trouble, as they did in Genoa three years ago.
Anti-capitalist groups are already chatting on the internet about ways of disrupting the event. The G8 summit is to take place from the sixth to the eight of July at Gleneagles Hotel, a venue well used to political pomp and ceremony.
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Daily Record Coverage: COPS WANT TALKS OVER G8 DEMOS
15.06.2004 22:57
Jun 12 2004
By Brian Mccartney
PROTESTERS planning to target next year's G8 summit in Scotland have been urged to make peace, not war.
Police say they will takeno issue with peaceful demos.
But they vow the 'full force of the law' will fall on anyone trying to wreck the summit.
The leaders of the world's eight richest countries will meet next summer at Gleneagles Hotel, near Auchterarder in Perthshire.
The venue was the choice of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
But UK taxpayers via the Westminster Treasury will pick up the £150million bill for protecting 5000 guests.
Delegates and security staff from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia will number about 1250 and 3000 media and others will attend.
Around 100,000 demonstrators have also turned up at previous summits.
Last night, Tayside Police Assistant Chief Constable Willie Bald revealed a security planning team had already been set up for the event.
He insisted his force were eager to hear from groups to agree sites of demonstrations and organise amenities, such as water supplies.
But he warned: 'Any groups intent on causing unlawful disruption will be dealt with using the full force of the law.'
He revealed there would be an exclusion zone around the hotel manned by 'significant' numbers of police from forces throughout the UK.
But there are no plans to close the nearby A9.
The biggest security risk surrounds the luxury homes bordering the famous golf course which are within rifle range of the hotel.
First Minister Jack McConnell has hailed the G8 as Scotland's opportunity to 'showcase our ambitions'.
And Perth and Kinross Council have already arranged a meeting for Thursday to update local people on developments .
Council chief executive Bernadette Malone said: 'G8 is a huge opportunity to promote Perthshire as a fantastic place to live, work and visit.'
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Anarchists 'to target city's transport links'
15.06.2004 22:58
Mon 14 Jun 2004
ANARCHISTS have vowed to blockade Edinburgh Airport and the Forth Road Bridge in the build-up to next year’s G8 summit.
More than 100,000 activists are plotting to sabotage the city’s transport links, it is claimed, bringing the country to a standstill in what would be the biggest protest Scotland has seen.
The anti-capitalist protesters want to prevent the meeting of world leaders at the Gleneagles hotel in Perthshire. Some campaigners said they would resort to violence if necessary.
The £150 million summit will be policed by more than half of Scotland’s 15,000-strong force.
A member of Reshape, an anti-globalisation group which is part of the anti-G8 Dissent network, said: "We want to make the champagne-sipping elite inside the G8 tent sweat. We want them to feel the vulnerability that billions feel each day."
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In depth article from icPerthshire
15.06.2004 23:00
icPerthshire
Jun 15 2004
POLICE are planning a major clampdown on protesters intent on causing trouble at next year’s G8 summit in Perthshire.
The cost of security when world leaders gather at Gleneagles Hotel, near Auchterarder, is expected to top £150 million - with an estimated 10,000 of Scotland’s 15,000-strong police force set to be deployed during the three-day event, which is being held next July.
Willie Bald, Tayside Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said yesterday: “There has already been much speculation about the number and nature of protesters who may descend upon Gleneagles and the surrounding area.
“Whilst there is no current intelligence to suggest that the more extreme reports are accurate, in the planning of an event of this nature a great deal of information gathering is undertaken and we will react accordingly.
“Tayside Police is planning a major security operation but one which will allow those who want to protest peacefully and lawfully to be able to do so.
“Before any protesters come to Gleneagles we would hope that they would work closely with us to reach solutions that are acceptable to everyone, including members of the local community in Auchterarder and further afield.
“Any groups intent on causing any unlawful disruption in or around the Gleneagles area can rest assured that they will be dealt with using the full force of the law.”
Perth and Kinross Council and the police are planning to hold regular meetings with local representatives to keep residents in the picture, with the first set to take place on Thursday.
ACC Bald explained: “People living locally are probably able to say themselves how best they can go about their normal lives and are sure to have some good ideas about managing any disruption.”
The council’s chief executive Bernadette Malone added: “The key priority is to ensure that the local community are kept fully informed.
“We recognise that people will have legitimate concerns about the potential impact of the summit. I want to give them an assurance that they will get the right information from the right people at the right time.”
A dedicated website, www.perthshireG8.com, has been set up to provide concerned residents with detailed information.
As the PA revealed on Friday, the summit has already been targeted by anarchist groups intent on carrying out a massive programme of disruption similar to the activities that marred previous G8s in Genoa, Italy.
Gill Hubbard, of anti-capitalist Global Resistance Scotland, said yesterday: “There are many of us who were in Genoa, which did turn violent.
“We will peacefully protest but we can’t be held responsible if the police want to batter us. We want to be as near as possible to the G8 summit.
“We want to bring our protest to the attention of the G8 leaders and show them their policies are redundant.”
Alastair Davidson (21) added: “A lot of people are coming to Gleneagles from across the UK and Europe. We’re looking at possibly more than 100,000 in what could be the biggest protest Scotland has ever seen.
“The G8 is a violent organisation and they produce violence against the world and anything we can do to reduce that level of violence is reasonable.
“If we block a road and that helps the Third World or a worker organisation get a greater voice then we would say that is reasonable.”
Mark Ruskell, the Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said G8 would be a chance to highlight what he described as “the failure of the G8 to take seriously the need to tackle climate change, global poverty and the over-consumption of the world's finite resources”.
He added that Scottish Greens hope to engage the anti-globalisation activists in their own 'alternative economic summits'.
With joint promotions between the local authority, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise taking place, council provost Bob Scott was yesterday keen to point out the summit would be a major marketing opportunity for Big County firms.
He described the Gleneagles event as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the world what Perthshire has to offer” and added: “We look forward to extending a warm welcome to everyone associated with the summit and believe the opportunity to host this important event will bring significant eceonmic benefits not only to Perthshire but to Scotland as a whole.”
Echoing those words, First Minister Jack McConnell commented: “The summit will provide a unique opportunity to raise the profile of Scotland as a destination, a business location, and as a potential place to live.”
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!
18.06.2004 16:37
The crazyest news story yet, we are not even orginised yet.
Where do they get these figures from?
Laughable
reader
Activists tape training video for Gleneagles G8 protest
09.07.2004 15:07
RHIANNON EDWARD
ANTI-capitalist demonstrators have posted a detailed film on the internet of a "reconnaissance" mission to Gleneagles hotel, which will host next year’s G8 summit.
Wearing masks, the political activists recorded images of the hotel and its grounds. Their footage was then posted on the internet in an apparent attempt to help activists in other countries plan disruption.
In one shot, on the way to Gleneagles in the back of a van, an activist dressed in black fatigues is filmed saying: "We’re here to get a feel for the area if the G8 comes here. It will be a really bad idea if they do.
"It’s next to one of the main motorways and will wreak complete havoc on Scotland."
The film, posted on a website hosted by Dissent, a UK-based coalition of "anti-authoritarians", is being investigated by police gathering intelligence on the groups that plan to disrupt the two-day meeting of the leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries in July next year.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to come to Perthshire to disrupt the summit, which will be attended by 1,000 delegates as well as the leaders of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.
Tayside police will not reveal details of counter-demonstration plans, but Chief Superintendent Brian Powrie said: "We are monitoring things carefully.
"But we cannot tell at this stage what the extent of unlawful protest will be, if indeed there will be any. There’s a lot of information on the internet and we are keeping a close eye on it."
Tayside police has said it would use the "full force of the law" against troublemakers.
The activists, who accuse G8 nations of profiting from the poverty of third world countries, have held clandestine meetings to plan their strategy.
They are hoping to mobilise the biggest protest seen in Scotland, laying siege to the venue and sabotaging transport links.
Gleneagles was chosen because of its relative remoteness - a factor that simplifies security issues. During last year’s summit in Evian, France, 50,000 protesters battled riot police and blocked traffic.
(A)
the link
09.07.2004 15:11
(A)