Julius StraussPrague becomes armed camp for IMF talks
Tuesday 12 September 2000
Czech authorities are transforming the historic centre of Prague into an armed camp ahead of a meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.There are fears of widespread violence as 50,000 radical protesters try to disrupt the meeting from Sept 18-26. The security operation will be the biggest since the Prague Spring of 1968, with 11,000 policemen deployed and 5,000 troops on standby.
Citizens have been advised to leave their homes as protesters from across Europe converge on the city. Those who stay are being advised to stock food. Schools are being closed. The British and American governments have warned citizens not to travel to the city, except on essential business.
The city is one of Europe's foremost architectural jewels, packed with Renaissance gems and an unrivalled collection of 300 Baroque palaces. But the winding streets and hidden courtyards which draw millions of tourists present a policing nightmare. Senior Scotland Yard officers and FBI staff have visited the city to advise Czech police on tactics and to identify known trouble-makers.
But there are also fears about the competence of the Czech police force, which has a poor record with demonstrations. Much smaller past protests have caused chaos in the city, with accusations that police either stood by or overreacted.
Czech authorities have announced a radical package of measures aimed at thwarting the protesters, including specially trained anti-riot units that have spent weeks practising at a former Soviet base. They will be equipped with riot shields, dogs and water-cannon.
The army has made lorries, armoured cars and helicopters available to the police, with 200 drivers, pilots and mechanics. Zones where the 12,000 delegates will live and meet will be closed off. Many shops and businesses have said they will close for the week.
"We will hardly be able to move and getting past the cordons will be a nightmare," said Ladislav Malovec, 28, a shopkeeper whose supermarket lies in the shadow of the conference hall, formerly the communist Palace of Culture.
Anti-globalisation groups, some of whom have had activists in Prague for weeks preparing for the demonstrations, have promised that there will be thousands of protesters in Prague on Sept 23 and plan to lock delegates into their conference hall.
The event, called S23 by anarchist groups, already has dozens of websites devoted to it. Anarchists in Prague have provided accommodation and mobile phones. Stanislav Gross, the Czech Interior Minister, said: "Our approach has been to prepare for the worst scenarios. I hope the only thing we will be criticised for is that we exaggerated these preparations."
This week, central Prague appeared calm as tourists wandered through the Old Town eating ice cream or strolled in Wenceslas Square where anti-communist protests in 1989 helped bring on the Velvet Revolution.
But in the city's squats and anarchist bars - venues tourists are steered carefully away from - talk was of the summit and the protests.
Ladislav Dolezal, 21, said: "We won't start the violence. But the police will have to try to show they are prepared so they'll strike hard and that's how it will start."
A group of dedicated international activists is marshalling the discontent. Martin Shaw, a 35-year-old electrician from Ealing, London, is one of the organisers.
He said he has spent the past month in Prague organising accommodation, events and medical training for visitors and local activists. He said: "We have a non-violent policy, but there may be people with a different attitude coming."