Organizers take extra steps to ensure public order, safety

LONDON - With the Notting Hill Carnival only one day away, police will be on high alert this weekend amid fears of fresh riots while local residents and visitors are hoping for the best.

The annual extravaganza, Europe's biggest street festival, attracts about 1 million spectators eager to see floats packed with powerful sound systems and outlandishly dressed dancers make their way through west London.

With costumes that include colorful headdresses decorated with feathers and huge wings, the troupes dance in front of packed crowds in an event that is a huge tourist attraction for the area.

"Hopefully it will be peaceful over the weekend. It's my first trip here to see the show and it'll be a great shame if the festival is hit by riots," said Rocio Gonzales, a 22-year-old Spanish university student.

She said enjoying the carnival was the "major reason" for her to visit London for vacation, despite the better weather in southern Europe.

"I want to go back to Spain next week with beautiful memories, not nightmares," she added.

But the festivities almost did not take place at all this year.

The frenzy of looting and destruction, which started in the northern London district of Tottenham on Aug 6 before spreading across the capital and to other cities, left five people dead in the worst riots in England in decades.

Police have arrested more than 2,000 people in London alone in connection with the violence.

The Notting Hill Carnival also has a reputation of being a magnet for troublemakers and many commentators thought the event would be canceled.

"Canceling the event would have had a negative impact and would have sent a bad message with the Olympics next year. It would have told the world that London isn't equipped to deal with disturbances," said Ancil Barclay, the festival's co-director.

In the streets where the carnival will be held, workers have begun preparations. Several iron bars were placed on the side of the streets on Friday morning.

On Portobello Street, in which dozens of Caribbean food stalls will set up shop, notices have been put up saying that parking booths on both sides will be suspended from use on Sunday and Monday.

Nevertheless, authorities are on edge.

Police on Wednesday said they had made at least 35 arrests ahead of the carnival and received intelligence indicating that gangs were planning to cause trouble.

There will be 6,500 police officers on duty in the area on Monday, almost 1,000 more than last year, while several hundred extra officers will be deployed on Sunday.

More than 4,000 officers will be added elsewhere in the capital "as well as the thousands who are normally on duty", said Steve Rodhouse, a commander with London's Metropolitan Police. "I do want to be clear though that the look and feel of this year's Carnival and our policing operation will not change. People need to know that if they want to come and have fun we will be there to make that happen," he said.

AFP and Katharine Xu contributed to this story.