HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Anti-globalization activists rioted for a third consecutive night in Hamburg early Sunday even after Group of 20 leaders had already left the northern Germany city.Police again used water cannon trucks against rioters attacking them with iron rods and pavement blocks. They arrested 186 protesters and temporarily detained another 225 people. Officials say 476 officers have been injured in the violence since Thursday. The number of injured protesters wasn’t clear.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel condemned the violence, saying “Germany’s reputation is severely affected internationally by the events in Hamburg.”
Gabriel told Bild am Sonntag paper that a Europe-wide investigative team should search for suspects.
The overwhelming majority of the tens of thousands who took to the streets protested peacefully against the G-20 summit.
Angela Merkel chose to hold the G20 summit in Hamburg for a variety of reasons, not all of them wise. Hamburg has a history of political activism. Turns out there were over two dozen rallies and protests during G20 and local law enforcement was overwhelmed. Instead of photos of a triumphantly staged international gathering as she heads into the September elections, she got pics of burning cars and hundreds of injured.
All of the G-20 nations are two-faced concerning their global responsibilities regarding climate change.
They all invest far more of their nation’s dollars in fossil fuel energy than any other.
They could make that switch on the spot, why don’t they?
This is part of why there are riots, we are running out of time for peaceful demonstrations.
The rioters don’t need a cause, just a venue.
The vast majority were peaceful and showed up to show support for what they believe in.
They shouldn’t be judged by the actions of a few.
Personally, considering what is done in our names and without our consent, I have no problem with slightly radical demonstrations.
If we wait until climate change kicks in and we are past the point of no return, these riots will look like baby shit in comparison to what will happen worldwide.
Well, they didn’t scare off the masses, so if that was their intent, they failed right out of the gate.
And since it has become obvious what they are about then it is also easy to separate them from the crowd. Basically, there are two demonstrations on-going at the same time within one group.
As far as it mattering what the vast majority did, I was responding to ottnot saying that the rioters just need a venue. Which may be very true of the rowdy, unruly and destructive but far from true for the larger group.
There will always be the violent ones but they haven’t stopped the peaceful ones that know how to affect change and this very demonstration was proof of that.
Thus, it will always be.