"People can get their point across, and the meeting goes on," said Prof. Akke J. van der Zijpp, a research manager at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Given massive protests within the past year at meetings of the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the World Bank in Washington, D.C., "we expected something might happen," she said. Had the meeting been in Europe, protests would have been expected there, too, she said.

As activists checked in with protest organizers, Minneapolis police reported no incidents through the evening. Few protesters were seen downtown.

By mid-evening, a few anti-conference organizers ran workshops and preparation sessions at Walker Community United Methodist Church, 3104 16th Av. S.

"Today is just a general check-in session with workshops and a place to network. It's just a meeting space," said activist Alice Peterson, who wore a "Stop the Mad Scientists" T-shirt.

"They are making it ridiculous," she said in response to the police presence on Nicollet Mall. "They already have the script written and they will pounce no matter what we do. They are ready for attack."

Police are geared up

Nicollet mall at mid-evening was quiet. As some restaurant guests strolled along the street, police stood at street corners while a half-dozen officers guarded the hotel's parking entrance.

"We geared up because we didn't know when people would start to arrive," said inspector Sharon Lubinski, head of the Downtown Command. "We are ready. Still, it's been quiet. "

About 700 city and state officers from several jurisdictions will be on duty over seven days.

Russian-born Alexander Ivanov from the Department of Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Minnesota was glad to know that. "I feel relieved that there is security around here so we will be safe," he said. "It's kind of nice."

Peterson and other anti-conference organizers are expected to gather this morning at the Resource Center of the Americas, 317 17th Av. SE., and then at the Walker church in the afternoon.

But there have been no last-minute cancellations because of the threat of protests, said conference organizers at the university.

More than 650 scientists from 48 countries registered in advance. Twenty-five canceled in recent weeks, citing family conflicts and visa problems.

The high-security event started with low-key business meetings. ISAG's executive committee discussed the likelihood of protests but saw no reason to change the conference, said committee member Hiroshi Yasue of the National Institute of Animal Industry in Tsukuba, Japan.

Yasue said he had heard about anticipated protests before arriving in Minneapolis on Thursday. Still, he was surprised to see the level of security at the hotel.

"I didn't realize we would get all of this," he said, gesturing toward the police and barricades.

Corral for protesters

High chain-link fences, with padlocked gates, forced people to detour to other blocks. Signs designated the areas surrounding the hotel's main entrance that were off-limits. One black-and-white sign designated a fenced corral as the "demonstration area."

Police erected the corral for the protesters near the Hyatt's front driveway, on the west side of Nicollet Mall.

Throughout the day workers, shoppers, tourists and downtown apartment dwellers found themselves momentarily trapped in the cage-like corral as they tried to navigate Nicollet Mall, which police closed from 12th to Grant streets.

Two workers from a nearby Montessori School were on their way for a daily afternoon stroll in Loring Park when they wound up in the corral with their two strollers and three infants. Through the fence, officers waved and told them to go back.

"I thought maybe it was President Clinton in the Hyatt," said one of the child-care workers, Elisa Altamirano, 48.

The atmosphere could change today, however.

Several groups have circulated plans to disrupt the meeting or at least demonstrate against animal genetic research. Among their concerns are the use of animals in experimentation and farming, fear of biotechnology's impact on the environment and food safety, and mistrust of corporations that stand to profit from the research.

Although the scientists expressed respect for their detractors' rights to protest their work, they also were eager to define animal genetic research in their own terms. They consider the work to be of great benefit to humans -- and their animals.

"I hope that people realize that we are studying genetic variation in tissues and fluids of domesticated animals: cats, dogs, rabbits, cattle, sheep and poultry," van der Zijpp said. One objective is to learn why some animals can resist diseases that devastate other animals.

But Van Der Zijpp acknowledged that scientists can never fully appease the belief that it is wrong to tamper with genes.

"This is an ethical question," she said. "And as a scientist you should understand always that there is much more than science alone that determines people's behavior and decision making. ... It is up to every citizen to make decisions. And these decisions are guided by one's upbringing, religion, experiences on what is acceptable and is not acceptable."

The meeting in Minneapolis is scheduled to continue today and Sunday with workshops and presentations of research projects. A reception is scheduled for Sunday night, followed by speeches and discussion groups Monday through Wednesday.

Do the scientists agree with some disgruntled Minneapolis residents that the massive security is an overreaction?

"I can only say so after the meeting is over," Van Der Zijpp said.

© Copyright 2000 Star Tribune

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