NATO Protesters Arrested in Chicago before Summit
Eight NATO protesters were arrested Monday ahead of a weekend summit when they refused to leave the Chicago office tower which houses President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters, police said.
"They're starting early," Officer Robert Perez of the Chicago police department told Agence France Presse.
About 100 people attended the rally but only eight refused to leave and were taken into custody on trespassing charges.
Thousands of protesters are expected to descend upon the Windy City as the leaders of 50 countries gather for a NATO summit on Sunday and Monday.
Fears that the protests could turn violent have put the city on edge, with some downtown businesses even telling office workers to ditch their suits and ties and dress down to avoid being hassled or targeted on the streets.
Police and protest organizers have vowed that there will be no repeat of the trouble that erupted at events such as G20 summits in London and Toronto or the riots which scarred Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The decision to move the G8 summit -- set for Friday and Saturday -- from Chicago to Camp David is expected to lessen the intensity of demonstrations in Obama's adoptive home town.
Source: Agence France Presse
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