German police shut off G8 summit resort

Police today shut off public access to the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm, the venue for next week’s Group of Eight summit in Germany.

Authorities have built a seven-mile fence around Heiligendamm at a cost of £8.5m (€12.5m).

Police closed off public access to the resort at about 6am Irish time said spokesman Manfred Luetjann. Only residents, police and others with business involving the June 6-8 summit will be allowed through the two checkpoints in the 8ft metal and concrete fence.

The closure also affects a local railway line and a road through the resort, while boats are banned from the area immediately offshore.

Police have ordered a ban on demonstrations within 200 yards outside the fence from today through June 8. However, a regional court last week struck down a planned extension of that zone to a depth of several miles during the summit.

Germany is determined to avoid a repeat of violence that has marred previous G8 summits, notably in Genoa, Italy in 2001. However, anti-globalization activists have complained that the security measures are excessive.