Violent clashes have broken out in Germany between the supporters and opponents of the neo-Nazi movement. Hamburg police have detained over 700 people after the demonstrators started throwing projectiles, injuring several officers.
A group of anti-Nazi demonstrators have clashed with far-right activists marching in the city's Wandsbek district. The leftists erected barricades of trash bins and set them ablaze to stop their rivals from passing.After the police used water cannons to extinguish the flames, protesters attacked officers and the far-right demonstrators with pyrotechnics, bottles and stones. Some 38 police officers were reported to have been injured.The police put around 700 demonstrators into custody. And reported the clashes resulted in 1.5 million euro in damage.
Both leftist and rightist marches on Saturday were coordinated with the city authorities and scheduled for the same date. Over 1,000 police officers and a police helicopter were deployed in the city to try and control the opposing groups.Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people demonstrated peacefully against the far-right march near the City Hall.In a separate incident eight police vans and three cars were burned on Saturday morning. Investigators believe the attack might be connected to the neo-Nazi demonstration.