CALGARY - Seventeen Calgary businesses say an anarchist Web site is encouraging protesters to target them during next week's G-8 summit.
Corporations and government offices are listed on the anti-capitalist Web site and flyers around the city.
The Marriott Hotel chain is one name on the list. The site accuses Marriott's parent company of running private prisons in the U.S. There have been allegations that the private prisons are riddled with violence and corruption.
But the general manager of the Calgary Marriott says the accusations are wrong. Scott Stuckey says Marriott is out of the private prison business.
"Marriott actually sold Sodexho-Marriott and it's now called Sodexho Alliance, back in 1998," Stuckey said.
Stuckey says hotel staff have taken down an awning that displayed a Starbucks logo, a favourite target of many anti-globalization protesters. He also plans to hire extra security staff for the summit.
Some companies in the city have been preparing for months.
Bill Partridge, a representative for hundreds of downtown property owners, says many companies are telling their employees to stay home during the G-8 summit.
Partridge says some companies are also advising their workers to change the way they dress.
"People in business attire could be associated with corporate Canada and therefore could be a target. We're suggesting people don't wear logo-wear identifying them as belonging to a particular company," said Partridge.
No one knows who created the list, which claims to be a part of an anti-capitalist, anarchist collective. Mainstream protest groups downplay suggestions that its only purpose is to incite violence.
They insist it's just one way to call attention to companies with what they believe are unethical business practices.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C ยง 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper which first published the article online and which is indicated at the top of the article unless otherwise specified.