Hundreds of demonstrators were waiting outside Rostock airport Tuesday for the arrival of US President George W Bush, who was due to fly into the northern German city before being ferried by helicopter to the scenic Baltic resort of Heiligendamm for the Group of Eight (G8) summit, according to dpa. The US leader was due to arrive from Prague, where he had held talks on Washington's controversial plan for stationing of elements of a US missile defence shield, primarily aimed at countering a future threat from Iran. The US missile shield in Central Europe has run into strong opposition from Russia, with President Vladimir Putin threatening to position new missiles aimed at Europe. Bush and Putin were expected to clash over the issue at the gathering that gets underway on Wednesday evening and goes into Friday. A group of around 500 demonstrators, who had positioned themselves on a road leading to Rostock-Laage airport, delivered their message to Bush by means of large letters chalked onto the road. Others held up banners with the aim of telling the US president that he was "not welcome." A large police presence ensured that the demonstration did not get close to the president.
