Session 2 – Case studies: The protection of public spaces at practitioner level
The protection of public spaces at practitioner level
Existing practices used at the local level for the protection of public spaces
Month: July 2020
Session 1 – Panel: The protection of public spaces at policy and strategy level
How to cooperate with a wide range of stakeholders in order to mitigate emerging challenges in protecting public spaces?
“Technological and human-centred solutions to protect public spaces against terrorist threats”
15, 16 and 17 July 2020
10:00 – 11:30 CEST
The PRoTECT Consortium is organising the 2nd PRoTECT seminar on the protection of public spaces on 15-17 July. It will include three online sessions of a duration of 1h30 each.
Local and regional authorities in Europe have taken a number of steps to prevent terrorist attacks and protect their citizens. Developing common guidelines and exchanging good practices are key in order to achieve sustainable and effective solutions. In correlation to these considerations, local authorities can play a significant role in improving the protection of public spaces, mainly if they are able to identify the vulnerabilities of such spaces and acquire knowledge about existing solutions, both technological and human-centred, that meet their needs.
The online seminar will feature exchanges on best practices and technologies developed by law enforcement agencies, local authorities, European-funded projects and the private sector. It will give local authorities insights on what criteria to consider when selecting a solution to protect their public spaces. The project’s five partner cities will share their experience in using the PRoTECT tool and in selecting a solution for demonstration.
Law enforcement agencies, municipal representatives, local security practitioners responsible for the protection of public spaces, and industrial, national and European stakeholders are invited to take part in this event. You can participate in either all three sessions or any of your choice. . Registration is compulsory for each of the three sessions.
The seminar will be divided in three sessions:
Session 1 – Panel:
The protection of public spaces at policy and strategy level
How to cooperate with a wide range of stakeholders in order to mitigate emerging challenges in protecting public spaces?
15 July, 10:00 CEST
The EU Action Plan and the working document on Good Practices to Support the Protection of Public Spaces state that the co-production of public space protection is key, particularly in the context of terrorism. Preventing and mitigating terrorist threats require raising awareness among local and regional authorities and training them. Furthermore, it is important they cooperate with each other as well as with the private sector. Increased cooperation is also needed between the local, regional and national levels of governance. What avenues for cooperation exist at the European level regarding the protection of public spaces? How can cities best access funds and training? How can we support peer to peer exchanges among EU cities? How to make such coordination and cooperation effective? What are the challenges for the different actors in operationalising a joint action?
Session 2 – Case studies:
The protection of public spaces at practitioner level
Existing practices used at the local level for the protection of public spaces
16 July, 10:00 CEST
“There is no one single solution available, conversely, multiple methods and techniques can be put in place to guarantee safety and security in public spaces. The techniques range from architectural design in order to rethink the design of public spaces keeping security into account in continuity to emerging technologies such as AI and predictive surveillance. Moreover, whenever new technologies could appear to be expensive in cost and questionable regarding privacy, or when it could be difficult to rethink and re-project public spaces, building an action plan in order to mitigate, prevent and manage crime events would be a viable solution” (PRoTECT Best Practices and Technologies).
This session will present an overview of the PRoTECT best practices and case studies implemented by cities for the protection of public spaces.
Session 3
The PRoTECT project’s perspective on the protection of public spaces
How to assess technologies to protect public spaces? The PRoTECT Technology Assessment Framework. Public announcement of the selected solutions for demonstration in the five PRoTECT partner cities
17 July, 10:00 CEST
Devising hypothetical threat scenarios in specific public spaces that are potential soft targets for a terrorist attack can greatly help municipalities assess existing solutions to prevent or mitigate such attacks. The PRoTECT Technology Evaluation Framework (TEF) is a unique tool for evaluating such solutions and/or technologies, which local authorities can tailor to their specific needs and vulnerabilities. This session will present the Request for Information procedure to identify potential solutions to be demonstrated in the five PRoTECT partner cities, the use and application of the TEF, and the technological solutions selected by municipalities.
Opération serval: Depuis 2012, la menace terroriste a évolué dans sa nature et sa géographie mais n’a pas diminué en intensité
Pour mieux comprendre l’impasse dans laquelle nos troupes semblent se trouver dans la bande sahélo-saharienne, il faut revenir au contexte initial ayant amené à un niveau d’engagement sans précédent des forces armées françaises au Mali et plus généralement dans la bande sahélo-saharienne.
Mosques, Museums and Politics: The Fate of Hagia Sophia
When the caustic Evelyn Waugh visited the majestic sixth century creation of Emperor Justinian, one subsequently enlarged, enriched and encrusted by various rulers, he felt underwhelmed. “‘Agia’ will always win the day for one,” he wrote of Istanbul’s holiest of holies, Hagia Sophia, in 1930. “A more recondite snobbism is to say ‘Aya Sofia’, but except in a very sophisticated circle, who will probably not need guidance in the matter at all, this is liable to suspicion as a mere mispronunciation.”
France abandons Haftar, attacks Wagner
After having been one of the European countries to provide the greatest diplomatic and logistic support, and remaining silent regarding the thousands of deaths and massacres committed by its troops, France has finally abandoned General Khalifa Haftar. But isn’t it too late? And why now? French President Emmanuel Macron, who has bet on Haftar to defend the interests of his country and its oil companies in Libya, is now on the verge of losing his last cards.
Turkey’s Hagia Sophia: “It’s Like If Saint Peter’s Had Been Turned Into a Mosque”
“Would you have enjoyed it so much if a mosque at the center of Europe were converted into a church?” — Ertugrul Özkök, Hurriyet, March 8, 2014.
Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide
Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II.
Europe: Rape Victims Accused of Racism
“[W]e are neglecting to properly address the religious and racist aspects of grooming gang crimes…. It’s telling them that it’s OK to hate white people.” — “Ella”, a British woman who was raped more than 100 times in her youth by a Pakistani sex grooming gang, YorkshireLive, April 29, 2020.
Turkey: How Erdoğan’s Migrant Blackmail Failed
On February 27, Erdoğan’s government was on the threshold of executing its threat to flood Europe with millions of (mostly Syrian) migrants … Hundreds of thousands of migrants began flocking to the border. By the next day, Greece was not only operating 52 Navy ships to guard its islands close to Turkey; it had also mobilized additional troops on land. Its security forces were able to block 10,000 migrants from entering Greece by way of the Turkish land border.