Pittsburgh Steels for the G-20

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Group of Twenty (G-20), the international club of finance leaders and heads of state from nations representing 85 percent of the world's wealth.

From a business perspective, the G-20 summits are informal forums where agreements are made to maintain world stability. For anti-globalization activists, the forums are where the neocolonial dictators reaffirm their grip on world domination.

Whatever your perspective, the forthcoming summit, hosted by President Obama, will unfold at Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center Thursday and Friday, September 24-25, with a focus on the global economic crisis.

Recalling the rioting and fallout in Seattle during the 1999 WTO trade summit, host cities now tend to batten down the hatches when global finance and trade forums roll into town. To deal with the inevitable protests, Pittsburgh has leased a parking lot in the city's historic Strip District which will be cordoned off for activists. With less than 900 police officers on its force, the city will be hiring an additional 3,100 temporary officers, including 1,000 state police. What's more, the National Guard will also be on standby with 2,000 troops. The tab for all this muscle? The mayor's office said it could hit $19.5 million, with the feds coughing up $10 million. (For info on volunteering opportunities, street closures, etc., visit Pittsburgh's official G-20 website.)

Bracing for the worst, Pittsburgh city schools are closing for two days. Meanwhile, local hospitals are running practice drills to deal with riot injuries and explosion disasters, as downtown businesses prepare to board up their storefronts with thousands of sheets of plywood raided from local building supplies.

Meanwhile, a group called the Pittsburgh G-20 Resistance Project is coordinating most of the anti-globalization efforts, including their highlight "People's Uprising, a mass march to disrupt the G-20 Summit." The group also drafted a list of 100 "potential targets" for coordinated actions – including Starbucks, Whole Foods and other corporate chains. "Street Medic" training and other workshops are also being offered beginning this weekend. "The G-20 is in a house of cards," says a statement on their website. "Let's shake the table."

Is the enormous expense and extra security necessary, or – as with the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver – is the whole thing just a bunch of hype? Hard to say. But either way – from anarchists to anti-abortion activists, environmentalists, et al. – a groundswell of national concerns seem destined for venting at Three Rivers, with anywhere between 10,000 to 50,000 activists predicted to participate.

The key word there is "participation." Bravo. But let's not forget to give peace a chance.

Photo courtesy milesgehm via Flickr.