[Headline] PROTEST: Police say they are prepared for demonstrations

FROM B1

from their federal income taxes, LaPaille said.

But those meetings are closed to the public. Instead, the public's view will largely be limited to the protesting.

In addition to ADAPT, two groups representing labor unions and Washington college student groups have permits to stage demonstrations, Seattle police Assistant Chief Nicholas Metz said.

The labor demonstration, organized by the Washington Federation of State Employees, plans to play host to king-shot presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Officials with the Washington State Patrol and the Seattle Police Department say they've been preparing for more than a year for the meeting — and the protests it will bring.

"We let them know that we're not going to tolerate criminal behavior," Metz said. At the same tune, the police support people's right to free speech, he said. "We want to handle each situation with kid gloves; we certainly don't want to spark any confrontation," he added.

The police do not expect any non-permitted protesters to show up, Metz said.

The patrol will cover security of the governors and their guests within meeting sites. They've also consulted with local and federal authorities, including the Coast Guard and FBI, patrol spokesman Capt. Fred Fakkema said.

In anticipation ,of possible arrests of ADAPT Members, Metz said, Seattle police have arranged for a "good amount" of wheel-chair-accessible transportation. "It requires a great deal of training and planning on how we deal with folks who are disabled," he said. "That's not somebody we would typically deal with in a protest situation."

In March, 129 ADAPT protestors were arrested in a Senate Finance Committee meeting room in Washington, D.C. The group sees the right to community care as a "simple civil rights issue," Kafka said.