STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), July 14 (RIA Novosti) - An organizing committee of the Group of Eight summit said Friday it was checking information on the alleged detention of dozens of antiglobalists and NGO representatives in St. Petersburg.
"We have received this information and already asked the interior minister and other representatives of security bodies to look into [the situation]," said Deputy Chairman of the committee Vladimir Kozhin.
Last week Sergei Prikhodko told journalists that antiglobalists should not go to Russia's second city during the summit of G8 leaders on July 15-17 if they were intent on causing trouble.
Violence has marred G8 summits in the past, particularly the 2001 meeting in Genoa, when demonstrators entered into running battles with riot police and one man was killed.
Kozhin said that demonstrations in the streets of the city were prohibited due to security measures and added that the organizers of the summit and municipal authorities permitted antiglobalists to hold rallies at the Kirov stadium in St. Petersburg.
He refuted some speculations that the stadium was located beyond the city limits saying that it was situated almost in the center of the city.
"Driving them [antiglobalists] out of the city is out of the question," Kozhin said.
