DISHING UP DIPLOMACY
From “The Big Bad Vlad” to the “Obamarama Burger,” local restaurants and pubs are cashing in on the event by offering G-20-themed goodies. Brisbane bar Alfred & Constance is holding an “Obamarama Tiki Party” featuring a life-sized cutout of the U.S. president, Obama masks, Obamarama burgers and “The Big O” pineapple cocktails, a nod to the president's Hawaiian roots.
At Burger Urge, you can chow down on “The Big Bad Vlad,” a Vladimir Putin-inspired sandwich featuring “presidential chicken breasts,” “ruthless rashers of bacon” and “oppressive slices of cheese.” Those looking to escape the sweltering heat, predicted to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), can grab an icy beverage at the Bacchus Brewing Co.'s “B20 Beerfest,” featuring drinks representing the G-20 member countries, such as “Mandarin & Lychee Imperialist lager” (China) and a wasabi-spiced Ninja IPA (Japan.)
SECURITY SCENE
Around 4,000 delegates and 3,000 journalists will be flooding into Brisbane for the summit and at least two dozen protests are planned. Security will therefore be predictably intense, but even more so following a series of counterterrorism raids in the city in September that led to the arrests of two men accused of supporting terrorist groups.
Fighter jets and helicopters are crisscrossing the normally placid skies above Brisbane and 6,000 police officers will be on duty. Police and soldiers stationed at checkpoints throughout the restricted zones will be searching every car entering the area, and sniffer dogs will hunt for explosives. Steel barriers surround the convention center, the site of the summit, and police snipers will be positioned on rooftops.
