WHISTLER -- At least 100 protesters are expected here tomorrow to protest at the G8 meeting of foreign ministers.
"We are going with a very simple message that we would like delivered and we don't predict any harm to any property or people," organizer Elsie Dean said yesterday.
The protest is being sponsored by the Lower Mainland Social Justice Coalition of about 50 community organizations and unions representing about 100,000 people, said Dean.
The coalition's issues are the environment, human rights, disarmament and terrorism, she said.
"Our concern is that terrorism is created by an uneven distribution of wealth," said Dean.
"A military response and striking back creates more terrorism. The real terror in the world is the people dying of hunger."
The group will march to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel, where the G8 meeting is being held, and protest outside.
Fences are in place around the hotel.
From tomorrow, the road leading to Base II on Blackcomb will be closed to sightseers as hundreds of RCMP officers set up a command station.
RCMP Sgt. Grant Learned said intelligence has led police to believe protests will be peaceful.
"There has been nothing to suggest anything untoward, other than the normal protest groups who would come up to this type of event," he said.
An airspace restriction will not interfere with the float-plane service to Vancouver and other destinations, Learned said.
Expected at the conference are Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.
At least 150 media will be covering the event.
While security is tight, it is a far cry from what is expected at the full G8 Summit to be held at Kananaskis in Alberta on June 26 and 27. Up to 5,000 soldiers and hundreds of police will keep an eye on the 1,000 expected protesters.
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