Police & G8 summit protesters in stand-off

On 7 July 2008 protesters participated in a stand-off with police officers in Toyoura, as officials tried to block the demonstrators from marching toward the Group of Eight (G-8) summit. More than 100 anti-riot police officers arrived in 20 vans and stopped approximately 50 foreign protesters from advancing on the summit. Meanwhile, on 5 July approximately 1,000 demonstrators gathered in a park in central Sapporo to protest against the G-8 conference. Four people have been reportedly arrested in conjunction with the 5 July protest, including a journalist. Police officers have been deployed in and around the city of Sapporo to monitor protest marches and demonstrations for the next few days. There have been no reports of any major disruptions or violence, although noisy demonstrations are expected to continue for the duration of the summit