NATO summit brings tight security and disrupts life in The Hague

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Locals, art lovers and diplomats like to meet over a meal and a drink in the historic Gastrobar Berlage behind a landmark art museum in The Hague.

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But the usual stream of visitors turned into a trickle when fences started rising outside as part of super-tight security around a meeting of NATO leaders that is smothering the Dutch city in a major military and police operation called Orange Shield.

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Parts of the usually laid-back city — where NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte used to ride his bicycle to work while munching on an apple when he was prime minister of the Netherlands _ are turning into a military fortress.

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“It’s dead,” Berlage owner Bianca Veenhof said as she looked at an almost empty terrace at the start of what should have been Wednesday’s lunchtime rush.

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Parking spots have been blocked off by newly installed security fencing, workers in nearby offices have been told to stay home and public transit lines near the grounds have been diverted.

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The city that markets itself as the global hub of peace and justice, because of the international courts it hosts, is turning into a city of security and inconvenience for the June 24-25 meeting that is scheduled to feature leaders of the 32-nation alliance, including U.S. President Donald Trump.

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The summit comes as global geopolitical tensions soar and conflict escalates in the Middle East.

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Nearly half of Dutch police on duty

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In what they are calling the biggest security operation ever staged in the Netherlands, authorities are locking down parts of the city, closing off roads, and shutting down airspace.

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Temporary barricades and metal mesh fences surrounding the World Forum summit venue are just a fraction of the measures that radiate out from The Hague.

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About 27,000 police officers — about half of the country’s entire force — will be on duty around the summit along with more than 10,000 defense personnel.

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Military police will protect delegations. Frigates will patrol the North Sea, F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters will take to the skies and air defense systems will be on alert. Bomb squads will comb the venue for explosives.

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Convoys carrying leaders will be whisked around with military police escorts along closed-off highways from airports to their accommodations. While civilian drones are banned from the airspace around the summit and other key locations, police and military drones will buzz around the skies over the summit venue and other locations where leaders gather.

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Regular police and riot officers also will be on hand for several protests that have already been announced, including an effort by demonstrators to shut down a major highway into the city.

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NATO forces are already watching the area, armed and alert from military helicopters overhead and from naval ships offshore, and with F-35 warplanes ready to deploy as needed, officers told an Associated Press journalist accompanying a security mission on Thursday. They’re notably looking out for drones or other small aircraft.