Suits a no-no on Pittsburgh streets

PITTSBURGH, United States: People in Pittsburgh are not wearing formal suits today, and many companies are closed in fear of being attacked by emerging protesters as the G20 summit kicks off here.

"Actually people say don't wear business suits today, or you'll probably get hit by things the protesters throw," a passerby told a Chinese-language CCTV program broadcast yesterday.

A lawyer in sportswear walking in the street said she changed her clothes to "ensure safety".

In the nearby building where she works, many companies were closed, while more and more will be closed today as the summit starts, she said.

Few people were walking in the usually crowded streets, while many shops and restaurants remained shut.

"It's quite strange, it's like a dead city," said another one.

However, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said there is no need to worry about security during the summit.

The major thing that the youthful 29-year-old is handling these days is to ensure the safety of about 10,000 guests from around the world. To that effect, local authorities have mobilized about 3,000 police from other jurisdictions to help the 900 in the city.

Footage of the CCTV program showed police erasing slogans calling for attention to the climate change that had been written on walls and even hung from a bridge. Helicopters patrolled the air.

Police have arrested some illegal protesters, said Ravenstahl. "So far we have just issued 10 to 20 protest certificates."

"We can ensure the safety. We're ready for that," he said.

Cheer for recovery

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"There is less stress here compared with the April G20 summit in London," said Rui Chenggang, an anchorman of a CCTV financial program that is reporting from here.

"Slogans welcoming the world to Pittsburgh in languages of all the G20 countries can be seen everywhere, and I think that reflects a positive attitude toward the world economy as many countries have announced signals of recovery," he said.

A green city

The reason US President Barack Obama chose Pittsburgh as the site of the summit is its past: A notorious steel city that was once badly polluted.

There is an old saying that the white shirts people wear to work in Pittsburgh are black when they get home.

But several decades later, it has become one of the best places to live in the US.

The United Nations also hopes the city, which has a total of 440 bridges, can help countries around the world seal up the cracks between them and enhance communication.

• Stances on climate change
• UN General Assembly
• EU's common positions for G20 summit

• Summit to map recovery route
• Working toward a climate-smart future
• Kick-start a green race
• Shifts in financial power play
• Keep an eye on US-Chinese body language in Pittsburgh

• A step in the right direction to peace
• It is the West which uses protectionism

• 2009 Global Think Tank Summit
• G20 Financial Summit
• Hu Visits Five Nations
• 30 Years of China-US Relations
• Hu Attends APEC Summit