Anti-globalisation activists and one man on a hunger strike are digging in for a long, hot week of protest against the world's most powerful leaders, who are set to meet at a well guarded and secluded Canadian Rocky Mountain resort.
With the leaders set to begin arriving today, activists were off to an early start trying to spread their message that average people from around the world have been left out of key decisions affecting them.
So far, they have concentrated their actions on the oil industry city of Calgary, about 1-1/2 hour's drive east of the now heavily fortified alpine resort of Kananaskis, Alberta.
Guarded by laser-guided anti-aircraft missiles, tanks and helicopters, the leaders will be far away from the protesting rabble, if not the bears that regularly inhabit the craggy mountain retreat.
The leaders of Canada, Italy, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Britain and the United States will deal with an agenda that includes the weak world economy, the battle against terrorism and efforts to help Africa cure such problems as poverty and the HIV and AIDS crisis.
Calgary police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada's military have assembled the country's largest-ever security detail in both locations to guard against any violent protests, like those that have erupted at similar events.
One Canadian protester (20) was on the fifth day of a hunger strike he said was in solidarity with third-world people.
"My main goal is to get as much information out there as possible by using this device, because far too often the focus of the public is on the protesters and violence and as a result, the reason why people are out there is lost," said Mr Gabriel Cardenas-Sharpe.
The first big protest was held Sunday in Calgary, where more than 2,500 activists took to the streets. The mood was party-like and police, which were out in force, made no arrests.