Protesters wear masks depicting the leaders of the G-7 countries during a demonstration organized by Oxfam in Giardini Naxos near Taormina, where the Group of Seven countries are holding their annual summit. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)

Most restaurants, pubs and ice cream parlors along the famous seaside of this tourist-friendly Sicilian town are literally battening down the hatches. Wooden planks and metal sheets now fortify most of their fronts, parasols are disappearing from the beach and police units constantly patrol the streets as the nearly 10,000 residents of this ancient Greek colony brace for impact ahead of a planned protest march on Saturday against the Group of Seven meetings in the next-door city of Taormina — where all demonstrations have been strictly forbidden.

Fearing outbursts of violence during the rally, the economic heart of the seaside town is temporarily shutting down at the very inception of the summer season.

“We’re expecting between 3,000 and 4,000 protesters, and more than 2,000 journalists” said Nello Lo Turco, 65, a former math teacher who for the last eight years has been the mayor of a town used to a different kind of invasion, with up to 50,000 tourists every summer.

At least a thousand law enforcement agents are stationed here, a local police official said on the condition of anonymity. “All of them are ready to wear their riot gear,” the official explained. “It’s a tradition for events like this one. So experience tells me there is indeed a chance that fringe groups might . . . try to gain visibility by clashing with the police.”

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Rally organizers are aware of the town’s growing anxiety. Luigi Sturniolo, 56, a placid librarian and veteran social activist from the nearby city of Messina, is one of them. Last Sunday, along with 15 other activists, he came to Giardini to distribute leaflets meant to assuage the fears of the locals by explaining their reasons for protesting:

“On the 27th of May we will rally close to the G7’s red zone,” the leaflet said. “We will do this because the meeting of the so called ‘great seven’ is the political expression of a scary global inequality . . . because [they’re preparing for] a war on migrants. We’ll be there to oppose Trump’s racism, xenophobia and sexism during his debut on the global stage.”

The mayor seems to agree with the spirit of the protest. “They’re putting their finger on the sore spot,” Lo Turco said. Most town residents, including those who seemed to be preparing for a siege, recognize the protesters’ right to express their opinions.

“Everyone is free to protest. Their protest against these ‘greats’ is fair. But the likelihood [of violence erupting] is high where black blocs are concerned,” said Maurizio Donato, 39, owner of Schizzo, an ice cream parlor on the seaside. “I can understand striking at multinational [corporations], but why should they hit a small-scale entrepreneur?” he added while covering his store with cardboard and metal sheets.

“I hope this is all for nothing, and that nothing happens, but I’m afraid,” he said. “It feels like we’re bracing for a hurricane.”

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