SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) –With heavy security in place including secret service personnel at the Celtic Manor Resort, the finishing touches being applied to the venue as they prepared for the arrival of more than 60 world leaders, their entourages and a large part of the world’s media. However the people of the area are not impressed, Roma McIlroy was stacking the shelves of her fruit and veg shop, none too impressed that a summit is about to begin on her doorstep.
“What’s happening on that hill over there is nothing to do with us,” she said. “It’s just causing disruption and worry. I can’t think that Obama will be coming anywhere near here. It won’t bring any good.” Newport is crawling with police, many wearing distinctive light blue caps and a good few heavily armed. The security operation costing about £50 million and 10,000 officers from forces across the Britain have been drafted in to prevent attacks by terrorists or protesters.
At the peace camp taking shape in Tredegar park, Darren Carnegie, from Glasgow, said he had not found anyone in Newport who supported the summit. “People are asking why billions is being spent by Nato on war while ordinary people are struggling here and everywhere,” he said. Around 2,000 people marched peacefully through Newport at the weekend to protest against NATO and more are expected to take part in further demonstrations this week.
Sam Carwenne Oxby, a Welsh woman now living in London and a member of the Stop the War coalition, said she was sad that her homeland was hosting NATO. “Wales is a peace-loving place. It feels very wrong that such an event is taking place here.” Oxby said local people had been donating food to the vegan camp kitchen and local youngsters had been turning up to talk about events in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. “One good thing has come out of it – it has started these sorts of conversations,” she said.
Source: The Guardian