Law Enforcement Continues Preparations For NATO, G8 Summits

By aaroncynic in News on Jan 12, 2012 3:00PM



misterbuckwheattree

As Chicago heats up for the NATO/G8 summits in May and its expected protests, City officials and police have engaged in plenty of tough talk towards potential demonstrators and protest organizers. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said last summer police would begin training for mass arrests, and recently, Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Shields bemoaned what he called “professional anarchists and rioters” flocking to Chicago.

Recently though, local media trumpeted security standards by police in regards to potential confrontations with protesters, highlighting the methods and firepower that security forces will have on hand for the summits.

Crain's reported on Monday that a “source close to planning the events” said trained sharpshooters who can “shoot the head off a nickel from 500 feet” will be on hand. In addition, ABC 7 reports that Chicago and state police recently conducted large scale training exercises which included actions on disarming bombs. The bomb squad, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard's Civil Support Team all participated.

Plans also call for a large security perimeter around downtown Chicago that will prevent motorists from driving and parking on some streets. The host committee for the events have already promised to compensate Chicago Parking Meters LLC for lost revenues during the summits to street closures. The much-ballyhooed 2009 parking meter privatization deal calls for Chicago Parking Meters LLC to be compensated whenever there are street closures.

Like every other summit, the G8 and NATO summits in Chicago will draw tens of thousands of protesters from around the country. Considering the amount of dignitaries who will participate, we expect nothing less than the highest security preparations from law enforcement. However, we're still trying to wrap our heads around the not so subtle connection the City and some media outlets have made between protesters and terrorism. The Mayor's office has made a point to make it more difficult to demonstrate against the summits, and the rhetoric surrounding them suggests the exercise of First Amendment rights in Chicago requires a set of cross-hairs to participate.