Group of Eight Summit, Sea Island, Georgia

(Brunswick, Georgia) Mark your calendars! The G8 Sea Island Summit is only a month away and already security is tight. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have started patrolling sea, land, and island areas, questioning all individuals within a general security zone. Full security is to be implemented on June 5th for the June 8-10 summit. Under consideration is a plan to close all beaches and waters surrounding the island. Local citizens are also participating.

Police have asked the community to be their eyes and ears, and to report people and activities that seem suspicious. At the top of their list are people who photograph areas and structures that are not typical tourist attractions.

Even with extensive security, law enforcement officials are anticipating many arrests from a large number of aggressive protest groups. It's known that the Internet is being used to notify and recruit participants in planned demonstrations in Savannah and Brunswick. Accordingly, almost all city and county facilities will be used as staging and retention areas by law enforcement agencies during the G8 Summit.

Of note is that the usual protest groups will probably be less successful in recruiting participants than is customary due to the somewhat remote location of the summit this year and, also, due to the timing. For those habitual protesters that have jobs, this year's summit is inconveniently scheduled during the week so they'll have to take time off work. Also, the summer protest tour has another event scheduled on the West Coast at the same time as the G8 Summit. Scheduled for June 6-9, the BIO 2004 Annual International Convention in San Francisco will surely attract the bulk of summer protest fans from the western states.

As host, President Bush will ask the leaders from Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia to come to agreement on the issues of global terrorism, security, trade liberalization, freedom and democracy, and economic prosperity.

Due to restricted access to Sea Island, the protesters and the media will chiefly congregate in Savannah and, to a lesser extent, Brunswick, so there's promise that this year's summit will occur with minimal disruption.