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G8: Security Tight on St. Simons Island
By Jamie Muro
First Coast News
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA -- It's the first thing you notice once you enter the Golden Isles: the security net. It's vast, and its obvious.
Signs of law enforcement, from all levels of government, are present on just about all street corners once you drive over the causeway to Sea Island. The closer you get to The Cloister at Sea Island, the more security you see.
Lynn Crank's world is surrounded by security. She works at The Farmer's Market, which is just on the outskirts of the McKinnon St. Simons airport. The airport has been turned into a major military installation with President Bush now staying just down the road.
"At first it was a definite fear thing, when you saw them in bits and pieces," said Lynn.
Lynn says the fear factor had everyone on their toes initially.
"One day there was a racoon in the tree, a small group of us were looking at it and they came out of the woodworks, what's in the tree?"
But now, Lynn appreciates the extra eyes.
"Now that we're seeing the numbers and realize they're tne of them to every one of us, it's comforting, it's very comforting."
Created: 6/7/2004 9:15:41 PM
Updated: 6/8/2004 9:57:08 AM

G8 Security Forces Waiting For Something To Break
POSTED: 11:02 pm EDT June 7, 2004
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- So many cops, so little to do.
The days leading up to the G8 summit on Sea Island have been so uneventful that the thousands of police officers and military men and women helping with security on adjoining St. Simons Island and up the coast in Savannah can only wait for something to happen.
In the meantime, they parade around in their patrol cars with the sirens on, lounge in lawn chairs at roadside checkpoints, swap stories and jokes, and try to stay on guard.
There are about 20,000 law enforcement officers and National Guard troops from all over Georgia here for the summit.
"Whatever can possibly go wrong, we're equipped to handle it," Jimmie Sams, a private security contractor brought in to help the Savannah police.
The overwhelming show of force apparently has scared away protesters. Only a few handfuls of activists had showed up by Monday -- the eve of the three-day meeting. There have been no arrests or disturbances.
But few locals or tourists are evident, either. One observer said that coastal Georgians used to seeing the streets patroled by military men in the humvees during hurricanes apparently responded to this event the same way and left town.
But those reponsible for the protection of some of the world's most powerful men say that after the Sept. 11, 2001, these measures are necessary for high-profile events like this summit.
"You have the eight most powerful economic countries coming here with their leaders," said Maj. Douglas Martin, a Canadian Army officer working with the North Atlantic Air Defense Command team in Savannah. "It's vital that people know we have a very good ... defense system in place.

"Ping. Can you shed any light on this subject? The pucker factor seems to be elevated. What do you think?"

It's hyperbole of the worst order... let me fetch comments of mine on other posts.

Peach sent this:
Thought you'd be interested in what that foreign papers are saying about the G8 summit.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=529162

My comment:
To: Peach
Thanks ( I think! ) for the link... it was a remarkable blend of condescension, elitism, and the sort of snobbery some Brits excel at... they just could not resist this coy little slur:
(Sea Island as in cotton, as in slaves)

As one born and bred on the Island, I can tell you they get it about half right, in between the little digs like the above.

The nearest national comparison I can think of would be to the Key West of 35+ years ago, but even that is inexact, for there were differences, subtle and not.

There's an old Arab saying, "the little Jackal barks, but the caravan continues on in the night," and so it will be here- we'll go on quite well after this is over & forgotten. As it will be inside of a week.

77 posted on 06/08/2004 2:11:20 PM EDT by backhoe

From another post:
To: Dutchgirl
"the only one paying attention to the protesters are the press...prompting reminders that "Only a fool argues with a fool."

Dutchgirl, you have it right.

These scruffy characters will have no effect on G-8; their only purpose is to get face time from the news people.

"It's all about me, me, & me, and my pet cause."

They haven't the vaguest grasp of the demographics or sociology of this area- if they did, they would know that the Islands are worlds apart from the mainland, and that a protest staged here has about as much effect as one, say, in Yulee.

Nor do they care- they just want a 15-minute whine on TV.

Shamus, just FYI, the last I heard the protesters numbered under 200, and the lawmen ( and military ) over 20,000. There are 67,000 people in Glynn, and most of them are armed. These disreputable characters aren't going to get away with anything besides whining and bitching.

And the Jackal pack Press will give them what they want and seek- coverage.