German police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters gathered to demonstrate against the G20 summit in Hamburg after a group of black-clad demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at riot police.
Hundreds of mainly young left-wing activists gathered and marched on a main street shortly before midnight (local time) on Tuesday in the first major protest ahead of the summit, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Police expected around 100,000 protesters from around Europe, who say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace, to gather for the demonstration dubbed "Welcome to Hell" by the anti-capitalist groups behind it.
Protesters are expected to march in the city this week against globalisation and what they say is corporate greed and a failure to tackle climate change. German authorities believe around 8,000 demonstrators were prepared to use violence, the interior minister said on Tuesday. Some 20,000 police officers will be deployed.
Der Spiegel magazine reported that the Germany army fears protesters will use unarmed drones and that it has deployed a radar to locate any possible aerial intrusions.
Dozens of Police Injured in Protests as Merkel Seeks Consensus
Dozens of police were injured in clashes with protesters, tarnishing the start of a meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will cement her role as a stateswoman as she seeks re-election in September.
Merkel, who is campaigning for a fourth term, can ill afford the images of chaos and disharmony that dominated news coverage of the summit. The summit, which starts in earnest on Friday, is a chance for her to polish her diplomatic credentials but would be disastrous if marred by widespread violence.
Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police said. The pilots of a police helicopter sustained eye injuries when laser pointers were directed at them, police said.
Protesters damaged cars, set other objects ablaze and threw bottles in roving clashes that lasted until midnight. A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated.
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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