Cold War Cardiff
Here I am, back in Cardiff. Though given the roadblocks metal fences and hordes of armed police, you might be forgiven for thinking it was Berlin at the height of the Cold War.
All of beautiful Bute Park is fenced off, and there’s considerable disruption to the traffic through the city. All this will last over a month, and the NATO boondoggle isn’t even here. It actually takes place near Newport, twenty miles away. They’re just using Cardiff for two days..
Whoever made the decision to force this nonsense on the City should be held to account. There should be a full public inquiry into the gross abuse of power. And I hope the people of Cardiff remember this, and express their outrage at the Council when they vote at the next elections..
The photo, by the way, is at the bridge over the Taff at Cowbridge Road. Or is it Checkpoint Charlie?
In the Dark 
August 30, 2014 at 6:22 pm
We get exactly the same every couple of years when the tories have their conference in Birmingham. Pain in the backside.
August 30, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Absolutely
August 30, 2014 at 9:19 pm
Reblogged this on Welsh Events – Welsh Business Events, Welsh Social Events, Welsh Sporting Events & Charity Events in Wales.
August 30, 2014 at 9:37 pm
The disruption caused by the European Council meeting in Cardiff in 1998 was much less. Cathays Park was fenced off then to keep the public out, but no fences were erected on main roads.
The irony is that the disruption in Cardiff, judging by television news reports, seems much greater in central Cardiff than central Newport.
It’s not clear to me that Cardiff City Council holds much responsibility for the extent of the security measures. It would seem much more likely that the decisions would have been taken by the Home Office in consultation with NATO and the governments of NATO countries.
Some public disruption is unavoidable when major events are held, but the Cardiff measures do appear to extend over a much longer time period than is necessary.