Water cannon, torched cars: Protests rage in Hamburg for 2nd day as G20 summit kicks off

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.

People have been posting numerous videos and photos online showing plumes of smoke rising in the Hamburg suburb. Police advised people to avoid the area to not get caught up in the chaotic scenes.

Protests in Hamburg are ongoing, with some groups of demonstrators sitting on the streets, while police are taking protesters one by one in attempt to clear the road. 

Pictures and videos on social media posts show burning cars in the streets of Altona. 

Thursday’s night anti-G20 rally in Hamburg erupted into a violent confrontation between police and protesters, although the ‘Welcome to Hell’ anti-globalist march started off relatively peacefully. Clashes begun in the evening, police used pepper-spray and water cannons against rioting protesters. More than 110 officers have been injured in the clashes.