G20 Osaka: Japan closes schools and tightens security as authorities brace for protests at summit

Demonstrators representing a range of concerns will gather in Japanese city, protesting over Diaoyu Islands, Falun Gong and Hong Kong extradition bill

Visa has also been granted to Uygur activist Rebiya Kadeer despite Beijing’s objections to her entering the country

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A police officer stops traffic as demonstrators protest at the G20 summit in Osaka. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 1:53pm, 25 Jun 2019Updated: 11:35pm, 25 Jun 2019

The two-day G20 summit begins in Osaka on Friday and the sheer scale of the event has created a security headache for Japanese authorities. An estimated 30,000 extra people are expected to be in the city – along with more than 32,000 police to keep protesters from getting too close to the world leaders attending.

Japanese authorities have warned people to stay away from the city centre if possible, to take public transport instead of trying to drive and to be prepared for delays and disruptions.

Children from nearly 700 schools will have two days off during the G20, while lockers and rubbish bins in train stations have been sealed, along with the city’s subterranean sewage tunnels. Many roads have been cordoned off with heavy barriers.

Police have equipment designed to jam drones and bring them to the ground, while signs in multiple languages have been posted, explaining it is forbidden to fly drones in the city centre. On Monday, police divers conducted a thorough search of the moat of Osaka Castle, which is expected to host one of the summit receptions.

According to a senior US government official, US President Donald Trump plans to hold bilateral talks with several leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also plans to meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the official. Trump will then travel to South Korea for talks with President Moon Jae-in.

The presence of so many world leaders in one city has in the past drawn protesters with a range of concerns to G20 summits.

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G20 Osaka: Japan closes schools and tightens security as authorities brace for protests at summit

Demonstrators representing a range of concerns will gather in Japanese city, protesting over Diaoyu Islands, Falun Gong and Hong Kong extradition bill Visa has also been granted to Uygur activist Rebiya Kadeer despite Beijing’s objections to her entering the country

Demonstrators representing a range of concerns will gather in Japanese city, protesting over Diaoyu Islands, Falun Gong and Hong Kong extradition bill

Visa has also been granted to Uygur activist Rebiya Kadeer despite Beijing’s objections to her entering the country