SKorean activists barred from Japan, G-8 summit

04/07/2008 21:16:14

More than two dozen South Korean activists have been barred from entering Japan to hold demonstrations against the Group of Eight summit.

Toshimaru Ogura, from the G-8 Action Network, says the activists had planned to take part in anti G-8 demonstrations planned for Saturday in Sapporo, the largest city near the summit venue of Toyako.

Leaders of the G-8 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - are due to meet in Toyako for three days starting on Monday.

Mr Ogura says media campaign led by Japanese authorities is seeking to paint activists as terrorists.

Japan has gone to its highest state of alert for the summit, which is set to be the last G-8 gathering for US President George W Bush.

Some 21,000 police are deployed in Toyako, Sapporo and nearby areas, with an equal number of officers in the capital Tokyo.

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