Nearly 200 G-20 protesters arrested
Despite summit finish, violent rioters carry on
HAMBURG, Germany — Anti-globalization activists rioted for a third consecutive night in Hamburg early Sunday even after Group of 20 leaders had already left the port city in northern Germany.
Police again used water cannon trucks against rioters attacking them with iron rods and pavement stones. They arrested 186 protesters and temporarily detained an additional 225 people. Officials said 476 officers have been injured in the violence since Thursday. The number of injured protesters wasn’t clear.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel condemned the violence, saying “Germany’s reputation is severely affected internationally by the events in Hamburg.”
Gabriel told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that a Europe-wide investigative team should search for suspects.
Hamburg’s police president Ralf Meyer said at a news conference that he was proud of the 20,000 police officers who managed to provide security for the international leaders and their delegations, adding that it was deplorable that so many of the police were injured and that the violent riots couldn’t be prevented.
The city’s interior minister said officials hadn’t expected this kind of brutality by leftist extremists.
“We had to deal, detached from the actual events at the summit, with ruthless acts of violence by criminals,” Andy Grote said.
City officials said that people who suffered from the destruction will quickly receive financial support from the government. Cars were torched, stores looted, bikes burned in street barricades and windows smashed during the three-day violence.
The overwhelming majority of the tens of thousands who took to the streets protested peacefully against the G-20 summit, demanding quicker action against global warming and more help for refugees.
The summit, which took place Friday and Saturday, was hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Guests included President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and many other international leaders, who held talks on contentious issues like climate, trade, terrorism and migration.