🦄 Protest & Direct Action

G20 Hamburg – Anticapitalist March Attacked Before it Began

By Unicorn Riot

Hamburg, Germany – One of the largest anticapitalist black blocs in history was attacked before they were able to march. The day before the G20 Summit was slated to begin, police in Hamburg attacked the march from behind for refusing to de-mask. The march then turned into hours of running street battles.

Before the march could leave the port area, it was stalled as liaisons communicated with police. Police began issuing threats if protestors did not remove their masks. Protesters then de-masked and were attacked about fifteen minutes later by rampaging hordes of police officers punching, kicking, and beating protesters.

Protesters that were stuck on the road were beat when they attempted to climb up to the side portions of the street to get away from the violent rampage.

Water cannons were frequently used from the beginning of the repression and all through the night.

These protests occurred on the day that Putin, Erdogan, and Trump arrived. Most of those involved in the protests believed that worldwide capitalism needs to be destroyed, and had no interest in symbolic action.

People fought back the heavily armored police by throwing bottles, fireworks, paint, and more. The protest, which was estimated at around 10,000, was dispersed into many fragments. Many splintered, but well organized militant groups of anti-capitalists then roved through Hamburg wrecking havoc to corporate shops, luxury cars, and creating barricade road blocks.

Actions went deep into the night, as barricades on fire were a common sight. Not long after barricades throughout the city were lit, police sent force units to beat people, water cannons to put out fires, and armored personnel carriers with plows in front to push aside the barricades.

The Welcome to Hell march was able to re-generate itself and finally leave the port hours after the violent crackdown. The march got attacked multiple times as it made its way deeper into the St. Pauli neighborhood.

Police indiscriminately beat press, bystanders, and hundreds of innocent protesters seeking to demonstrate against capitalism and the G20. Some people were seen unconscious getting taken away on stretchers and others were receiving medical help at the scene.

Watch the livestream of the protests that happened after the police rampaged through the crowd at the starting point.

Unicorn Riot journalists were injured throughout the day. One’s knee was badly sprained when forced to leap over a wall as police ran into crowd swinging batons and fists. Unicorn Riot also lost a camera when a police officer punched it when our journalist was standing to the side documenting an arrest. All our collective members were struck by police officers at various times as we documented the Welcome to Hell protests. Much of our camera gear was damaged by water cannons.

See our G20 updates page here:

#NoG20 Protests: Live Updates from Germany

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Categories: Protest & Direct Action
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Published July 7, 2017
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