Northern Ireland reserves jail space for G-8 riots
Northern Ireland prison wing, defunct army base reserved for holding G-8 summit lawbreakers
DUBLIN (AP) -- Northern Ireland security chiefs say arrested troublemakers at the G-8 summit next month may be housed in a prison wing and in an abandoned British Army base.
Justice Minister David Ford says one wing of Maghaberry Prison, which houses convicted members of outlawed paramilitary groups, will be reserved to house up to 200 arrested G-8 protesters. He says the empty military barracks in the town of Omagh could be used to hold approximately 300 more.
"It would be very foolish if we did not plan for the potential of significant trouble," Ford said Friday as he discussed plans to protect world leaders meeting June 17-18 near the Northern Ireland town of Enniskillen.
Northern Ireland police expect to deploy 3,600 police reinforcements from Britain and three surveillance drones to monitor protests.
