2009-01-10
TEHRAN (FNA)- More than 20,000 people are expected to take to the streets of the German town of Baden-Baden and the French city of Strasbourg, both of them being venues for hosting NATO's 60th anniversary, to demonstrate against the western military alliance.
The aim is to prevent the summit which is slated for April 3 and 4, organizers of the protest camps announced Friday in the southwestern German city of Offenburg.
There are plans for mass protests and blockade, according to German press
reports.
According to the Islamic republic news agency, two major camps, hosting up to 18,500 protesters, will be set up in Strasbourg and its neighboring German town of Kehl.
A broad spectrum of demonstrators, ranging from Christian to radical leftist groups, will take part in the anti-NATO demos.
More than 20,000 police are to protect the NATO summit amid mounting fears of riots and terror attacks, press reports said earlier.
German police will closely coordinate its security measures with their French counterparts to ensure a peaceful NATO summit as around 3,500 political representatives from 35 countries are expected to take part in the high-profile event.
Germany was the scene of violent demonstrations and bloody riots during the 2007 Group of Eight summit in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm.