G7-SUMMIT/PROTEST CAMP Hundreds of anti-G7 protesters gather ahead of demonstration

Record ID: 150260

  • Title: G7-SUMMIT/PROTEST CAMP Hundreds of anti-G7 protesters gather ahead of demonstration
  • Date: 6th June 2015
  • Summary: GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (JUNE 6, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ARRIVING AT VILLAGE PEOPLE WALKING DOWN PATH TO CAMP SITE PEOPLE WALKING PAST POLICE VANS VARIOUS OF POLICE CHECKING LUGGAGE PEOPLE AND POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (German) PROTESTER, ALI (WOULD NOT GIVE SURNAME), SAYING: "It's completely out of proportion, completely exaggerated. Hundreds of millions spent just becaus
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1QBZHMFZHBG2RFCJ6Q5919K7G
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Protesters were gathering on Saturday (June 6) ahead of a large anti-G7 protest on the eve of a two-day G7 meeting in the German Alps.
    A larger group of demonstrators have been staying in a camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, some 20 kilometres from the Bavarian Alpine resort Schloss Elmau castle where the meeting will take place on Sunday and Monday (June 7-8), and more arrived on Saturday.
    German police have stepped up security checks ahead of the summit and some of the new arrivals to the camp were searched by the police.
    One of them was 28-year-old Ali, who was not impressed.
    "It's completely out of proportion, completely exaggerated. Hundreds of millions spent just because some people want to protest. I don't get it," he said.
    Spokesperson for the protest group "Stop G7 Elmau" Simon Ernst said they were there to protest against the G7's ambitions of "world domination" and that the world was ready for a different kind of society.
    "They are meeting to discuss hard-hitting questions about world domination, to negotiate geo-strategy and to improve their consortium to ensure increased profits. We think that this whole system, of which the summit is only the top of the iceberg, should change. We need a new completely different society and the world is ready to live without such twaddle," he said.
    There have already been demonstrations in the area and around 17,000 police have been brought in to ensure security around the meeting.
    A mesh fence and security perimeter have also been set up 16 kilometres around the venue to stop any unauthorised people nearing it.
    Police said they expected around 10,000 people to take part in Saturday's demonstration.
    Ernst said there would be no escalation from their side.
    "The situation necessitated this unbelievable police presence, as never seen before, but we want to emphasise that our goal is not the police. There will be no escalation from our side. We have repeated that for months and we're saying that to all demonstrators and all organisations that want to join us," he said.
    Police spokesman Peter Reichl said the situation was relatively calm.
    "It is really comparably calm. We have confiscated several smaller items such as pocket knives and similar that were noticed at control points. Protective gear was also found but all in negligible amounts," he said.
    Reichl also said the police's ambition was to remain a low-key presence throughout the demonstration.
    "I think, we have reached a good consensus. We won't go into fights, but will of course observe the fights and also the movements. And it is part of the parcel that there will be searches if people are arrested but all in all our strategy is such that we will be relatively restrained so as not to provoke or escalate with our measures," he said.
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to host the leaders of France, the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy for the Group of Seven's annual two-day meeting, held in a different member state each year, for discussions about various global issues such a security, energy and the economy.
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