ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Heavy security lined the streets outside Turin's Olympic stadium just hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.

Record ID: 332061

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Heavy security lined the streets outside Turin's Olympic stadium just hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.
  • Date: 11th February 2006
  • Summary: WIDE: POLICE WALKING AMID PUBLIC
  • Embargoed: 26th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVADWTAN0N67LSZAV7E4KV2JHHHX
  • Story Text: Heavy security lined the streets outside Turin's Olympic stadium on Friday (February 10) just hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.
    The ceremony, set for 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), has been kept under wraps but was expected to mix music and dance in a celebration of Italian history before the flame is lit.
    Still a mystery was who will light the flame that will burn over Turin's Olympic Stadium during the Games.
    The opening ceremony comes after months of headaches for organisers who have faced budget cuts and protests that have disrupted the Olympic flame's two-month relay across Italy.
    Turin has enlisted 4,000 vehicles and 2,000 volunteer drivers. But organisers admit many of them are still learning their way around the historic city's clogged streets.
    Italy has deployed nearly 11,000 police, paratroopers and skiers from its Alpine force to protect the 2,500 athletes, 10,000 journalists and thousands of fans spread between Turin's urban sprawl and the mountain sites near the French border.
    NATO surveillance aircraft will patrol a no-fly ban over Turin during Friday's opening ceremony in a renovated stadium.
    Security officials say there is no specific terrorist threat, but that Muslim anger over cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad is still a worry.
    Of greater concern are promised street protests by anti-capitalists who have vowed to disrupt the visit by Laura Bush, the U.S. first lady, and her daughter, Barbara, to the Games. The first protest was set for Thursday afternoon.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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