Merkel defends Hamburg hosting G-20 as thousands join protests
HAMBURG, Germany — German Chancellor Angela Merkel ended the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg on Saturday by condemning the violent street protests but defending her decision to hold it in a densely populated urban area.
A crowd of what protesters said were 76,000 people had gathered in central Hamburg for a final G-20 protest.
Police put the number of attendees at 50,000.
That protest ended later Saturday as world leaders headed home after the summit. Authorities reported that the protest had been largely peaceful.
There was a second demonstration, “Hamburg Shows Attitude,” which drew a crowd of 10,000 people, according to organizers, and 6,000, according to police. It also ended without incident.
At the bigger rally, a violent skirmish occurred between police and a group of demonstrators.
Police said 120 perpetrators had refused to remove their masks and attacked officers with poles and glass bottles, resulting in injuries to four officers. Covering your face during protests is illegal in Germany.
Nonetheless, police said they had been able to recognize and remove some troublemakers from the crowds.
But the chaos was far from over late Saturday, as officials reported that around 600 people had gathered in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel district, the center of anti-capitalist protests against the summit.
A police spokesman said officers at the scene had come to blows with the protesters.
Hamburg police — who on Friday were forced to request urgent backup from across Germany, boosting their numbers from 19,000 to 21,000 — had predicted that Saturday’s rally would turn violent, warning members of the public to stay away.
At least 213 police officers had been injured by Saturday, said a police spokesman. No reliable figures were available on the number of injured protesters.
Dozens of people were detained over the course of the protests, and 23 people were charged.