Unrest in Hamburg has continued into Friday as G20 summit has kicked off in the city. Forty-five people have been detained and 159 police officers have been wounded in clashes, according to police cited by German media.
Police had to resort to water cannon to disperse protesters while earlier several cars were set on fire in the suburb of Altona.
G20 protesters staged a sit-in demonstration and blocked a road in Hamburg on Friday morning. Police said that they tried to urge the protesters to disperse peacefully, but then deployed water cannon to clear the road.
Hamburg police requested reinforcements following overnight clashes in the city, according to Germany’s Welt newspaper, citing police officials.
Berlin and Baden-Württemberg police units deployed 200 more officers each in addition to the 20,000 or so already providing security during the G20 summit.
A police helicopter was nearly hit by a pistol flare light on Friday, Hamburg police wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, demonstrators set several cars on fire in Altona, several police vehicles also were vandalized, according to Hamburg police, who tweeted the images of police vans with black paint and smashed windows.
Beschädigte Dienst-Kfz der #Bundespolizei am #Bahnhof #Altona. Bitte distanzieren Sie sich von gewalttätigen Chaoten! #G20HAM17 *mm pic.twitter.com/tbvyZvoN1Q
— Bundespolizei Nord (@bpol_nord) July 7, 2017
People have been posting numerous videos and photos online showing plumes of smoke rising…