'Machine gun nests and unprecedented security' for secretive Bilderberg meeting of captains of industry and government leaders



The Bilderberg Group, a collection of top captains of industry and western government leaders, is gathering for its annual meeting this weekend under unprecedented security.



Reports from the Mariott Westfields Hotel in Chantilly, Virginia, indicate security officials have set up machine gun nests and are deploying satellite surveillance and other sophisticated monitoring equipment to keep guests safe.



Conspiracy theorists say the closed-door, invitation-only gatherings of 150 of the most powerful people in North America and Western Europe are ground zero for the New World Order, the place where the influential collude to steer the course of human history.



Lock down: Guests are being kicked out and reservations to the public are being denied at the Mariott Westfields Hotel in Chantilly, Virginia

Posh: This hotel in suburban Washington, DC, is hosting the exclusive Bilderberg Group for the second time time year

This year, 1,000 people are signed for an 'Occupy Bilderberg' protest, which is spurring the extra-tight security, according to right-wing journalist and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.



As Guardian columnist Charlie Skelton puts it, Bilderberg isn't about the 1 percent -- it's the 0.001 percent.



Among the attendees of recent meetings are: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, World Bank president Robert Zoellick, European Commission head José Manuel Barroso, Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.



The steering committee members include Marcus Agius, the chairman of Barclays; Mario Monte, the Italian Prime Minister; Craig Mundie, the Chief Research Officer for Microsoft; Peter Thiel, one of the venture capitalists behind Facebook; Kenneth Clarke, the British Secretary of Justice; and Jorma Ollila, the chairman of Royal Dutch Shell.



Protests: Security has always been tight for the secretive meeting. Last year it was held at the Suvretta hotel in St Moritz, Switzerland (pictured)

Captains of industry: Old money David Rockefeller, the patriarch of the famously wealthy family, and new money Peter Thiel, the billionaire Facebook investor and PayPal co-founder, are among the key figures in the Bilderberg Group



David Rockefeller is a key adviser.

Conspiracy theorists are floating the notion that members will 'anoint' Florida Sen Marco Rubio to become vice president on Mitt Romney's Republican ticket this year.



Bilderberg members say their meetings are simply gatherings of important people who come together to discuss the world's problems.



The Greek debt crisis and instability in the Eurozone are top considerations this year.



However, Mr Jones, a radio talk show host who runs a popular news website, reports that pressure from the occupy movement has organizers stepping up security.



Guests who had made reservations at the posh hotel in suburban Washington, DC, are being refunded and refused access.



One guest who was being kicked out of the hotel to make room for the Bilderberg conference claimed she saw machine gun nests being set up to guard against the protestors, Mr Jones claims.