Russian Police Allegedly Preventing Anti-G8 Meeting

The Konstantinovsky Palace, the venue for the G8 summit, which starts on July 15 (ITAR-TASS)
July 8, 2006 -- A Russian lawmaker has accused law enforcement bodies of forcefully preventing activists from participating in an anti-globalization forum to be held at the same time as next week's G8 summit, which will bring together the leaders of the eight leading major industrialized nations in St. Petersburg.

Oleg Smolin, a Communist, claimed activists from Russian provinces heading to the Russian Social Forum have been led off trains and forced to stay home.

(AP, AFP)