Activist: Protest due for G8 summit

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 10 (UPI) -- Marco Bersani of the Attac Italy anti-globalization activist group says the concluding G8 summit in the Italian city of L'Aquila will face a protest.

Bersani told Der Spiegel while the mass demonstrations and activist gatherings typically associated with G8 summits worldwide have been absent so far at the L'Aquila gathering, Friday should mark an end to the political calm.

"Not much is happening in the city yet," Bersani said, referring to a registered protest march to take place in the earthquake-stricken city. "The protests are currently concentrated on Rome. But we are expecting 5,000 people at the Friday demo in L'Aquila."

Marica DiPierri of the A Sud protest group said L'Aquila residents oppose Friday's planned demonstration because of the violence that took place at previous G8 summits.

"They fear that there could be fighting on the streets with police as has happened in Genoa. In their opinion, that would be counterproductive for the city's image," DiPierri told Der Spiegel.