Activists ready to descend on G20 summit

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Activists say they are searching for places to stay in Pittsburgh while they demonstrate against the G20 summit this month in the Pennsylvania city.

Three Rivers Climate Convergence member Kim Teplitzky said activists are planning to arrive in Pittsburgh in time for the Sept. 24-25 summit even if the city is not fully prepared to find suitable places for the activist guests to stay, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Thursday.

"We're coming to Pittsburgh ... If we don't start telling the people who are coming in where to go, they're just going to hit the streets of Pittsburgh, and who knows what will happen," she said.

Joanna Doven, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, said city officials were assessing the situation.

"We do not encourage camping in the parks," Doven told the Post-Gazette.

Activist group representatives claim city officials responded to requests for designated camp sites by saying such sites could interfere with Pittsburgh's The Great Race on Sept. 27, while proving costly to police and posing possible health risks.