Security is tight, and residents are being told to stay home and off the streets.
Czech police in their blue and gray polyester uniforms dot every corner, an unusual sight in a city where the streets are safe and people generally are not even arrested for minor drug offenses. Many Europeans who traveled here to participate in the events surrounding the meetings have been turned away at the border, and permits for peaceful marches have been denied. The real danger is that of embarrassment for the IMF and the Bank. They are fighting to preserve their legitimacy, which has been badly damaged over the last three years. For half a century hardly anyone even knew these institutions existed, and they operated in the shadows.