The G7 summit is approaching. In order to guarantee the safety of the participants, the police are already in full force in the area. Piles of wood, manhole covers – things that are not normally considered dangerous are now scrutinized and secured.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (dpa/lby) – A good five weeks before the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, tens of thousands of manhole covers are sealed there. Special squads of the Bavarian police are deployed in the area, the G7 planning staff told the police. On Tuesday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the pouring rain, manhole covers were fixed firmly to the ground with the help of burners.
The G7 summit, chaired by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), is planned for June 26-28. The heads of state and government of seven leading democratic industrial nations met at Schloss Elmau in 2015. According to the police, around 18,000 officers were on duty at the time.
Manhole covers were also sealed in the region at the 2015 summit. The police explained that the number of secured manhole covers was based on the figures at the time. In addition, other objects would be checked that could be classified as safety-relevant or as possible sources of danger. This could also include mailboxes as possible hiding places for dangerous objects. In individual cases, as in 2015, there is the possibility that mailboxes will have to be removed.
Around a dozen police officers are currently traveling along the so-called protocol route, which the heads of state and government could use to arrive and depart depending on the situation. According to the police, 220 households and property users are to be addressed over a distance of around ten kilometers.
The locals – residents as well as tradesmen – should be prepared for the fact that there may be closures and thus impairments. In addition, the officials want to identify other possible danger spots, such as stacks of wood, mailboxes or garbage can houses. Together with the residents, solutions should then be sought to remove the objects in question or to remedy the situation in some other way.
