More than 100 storefronts and derelict buildings in Northern Ireland have been painted or covered with attractive decals and billboards in an attempt to make the villages near the resort where G8 leaders will meet next week more attractive. (The government has spent £2m ($3.1m) on its own Broken Windows campaign over the past two years. Almost a quarter of those funds were used in anticipation of the G8 Summit.) Northern Ireland has been hit hard by the economic crisis; even the five-star hotel, golf and spa resort, the Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh where G8 leaders will meet, has been in receivership since 2011. The resort is ideally located near St. Angelo Airport for private jet arrival, has 5 Heli pads on site, and access to Castle Hume Lough to greet guests arriving by seaplane.
A six-metre (20 ft.) high fence has been erected around the main road leading to the hotel resort. It is estimated to have cost around £4m ($6.2m). Police anticipate thousands of protesters during the two-day event. Police will have water cannon on hand, as well as an unmanned aerial drone.
