MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Big challenge for Miami's ambition

Miami security forces have engineered a tight security system to protect the city's reputation as the “bridge of the Americas” and prevent street protests from disrupting the Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, negotiations scheduled for November 20/21 that are expected to concentrate hundreds of delegates from 34 countries and thousands of protestors.

Miami is lobbying strongly to become the Secretariat of FTAA and on this occasion more than 2,500 police officers from 40 departments will face the challenge of ensuring peace for the all the ministers and high-ranking officials and keeping at bay an expected 50,000 demonstrators, including American trade unions, AFL_CIO to environmentalist and anti globalization groupings that are converging from all over United States.

Though the ministers are scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday of next week, business forums, debates and closed-door meetings begin this Monday.

In addition to protest marches, vigils, meetings and an officially authorized festival, Miami authorities anticipated they expect "moderate" civil disobedience, including sit-ins and stripping.

To prevent excesses, the area around hotels in downtown Miami will become a "security zone" as of Sunday.

However protestors are also well organized and have moved into Miami with voluntary doctors who will help with medical attention and a group of lawyers who will assist with police arrests and "civil disobedience" legal aspects.

Representatives of mainstream groups insist the protests will be peaceful. "Those who come to Miami do so to fight for global justice and human rights, not for the destruction of a city," said Green Party activist Adam Eidinger.