July 10, 2015
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has confirmed reports that "crowd control" fencing will be used during Pope Francis' World Meeting of Families 2015 visit on September 26-27.
Nutter said that the fencing will go up as part of the city's security efforts because Pope Francis is a head of state, Newsworks reports.
"The Vatican is the smallest independent country on the planet," Nutter said. "Creating a secure zone or a secure perimeter on an area where people will have limited access or movement -- I think anyone who has been around for a while understands that ... you will have some of those areas."
Nutter also added that outside of some road closures and restricted areas, the overwhelming majority of the city will be unaffected by the events in Center City.
According to a report from the Inquirer, the city is working with the Secret Service to determine the exact location of the fences, which will limit access through the use of metal detectors. The height and type of fencing to be used has not yet been determined.
