Greek police and security forces are on high alert today in response to the threat of anti-capitalist demonstrations as European Union leaders begin arriving for a three-day summit.
The agenda for the summit will be dominated by wrangling on the nascent European constitution and methods of combating illegal immigration, but locals in the picturesque coastal region are more concerned with the threat of violence.
Greece has deployed 16,000 troops and police across the scenic coastal region around Porto Carras and the port city of Thessaloniki to combat the protests that have become a feature of top political and business gatherings in recent years.
Surface-to-air missiles and naval ships have also been deployed to counter the threat of terror attacks on the summit, which will begin this evening.
Anti-capitalist groups have vowed to bring 100,000 protesters onto the streets, but police say they expected far fewer.
The demonstrators, many eager to vent their anger over the US-led war on Iraq, say they will not be deterred by the security operation, which is widely seen as a test run for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
"The leaders are convening like thieves. They are worried about the resistance of the people," said Mr Hercules Tsavlaridis, a Greek protester.