Police in Germany were out foxed on Wednesday as thousands of G-8 protesters, many concerned about global warming and climate change, made their way through fields and forests to penetrate security lines to demonstrate near the massive security fence erected for the event and to block roads leading to the summit.
'We just walked over the fields where the water-cannon couldn't follow us,' said a spokeswoman for the protest group Block G8.
Despite the presence of more than 16,000 cops and helicopters Groups of demonstrators appeared almost out of nowhere to block important roads. Thousands of protesters blocked roads leading from the airport in the northern city of Rostock to the summit venue 60 km away, although the G8 leaders. Summit leaders were able to fly by helicopter from a nearby airport into the exclusive Heiligendamm beach resort, but lesser staff in cars and buses were caught in traffic jams on the ground.
Also, the protesters, including a 'clown army', targeted support staff and the 4,000 journalists accredited to cover the summit, cutting off a steam train link between the media centre and summit hotel. The journalists were eventually taken in by sea in German navy boats.
The cops were also forced to admit that some 10,000 protesters even managed to make it as far as the 12-kilometer-long security fence built around Heiligendamm for the summit.
One of the leaders of the protests at the G8 summit told a television interviewer Wednesday that a sit-down blockade around the summit compound would continue for three days.
Asked if the protesters would withdraw at night, Sven Giegold of Attac, one of the main protest groups, said on N24 television, "We'll stay here as long as this summit stays here."
An activist group said police had used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators. Several protesters were injured.
Reporters said the situation was tense, amid the pounding noise of helicopters coming and going with police reinforcements.
The United States said Wednesday that it opposes setting firm targets for greenhouse gas cuts at the G8 summit.
The following is from German IndyMedia
G8 Blockade On Main Road To Heiligendamm
Thousands of people left Reddelich camp early this morning to take part in the first day of blockades against the G8 summit. The main group which consisted of well over 5000 people moved towards the fence through fields and country roads. Other smaller affinity groups also left towards the fence 'protecting' Heiligendamm. Here there are a few photos of the main blockade which managed to break well inside the designated 'no-protest' zone, and successfully occupied the main road leading to Heiligendamm from the town of Bad Doberan, and just a few hundred meters away from the fence that protects the so-called 'red zone'.
At the time of publishing this report the blockade is still on, and growing in numbers as protesters from an earlier blockade of a military airport nearby are joining in. Police are bringing in water cannons and small tanks, but the protestors are staying put and resisting the blockade, some of which planning to stay overnight.
'We just walked over the fields where the water-cannon couldn't follow us,' said a spokeswoman for the protest group Block G8.
Despite the presence of more than 16,000 cops and helicopters Groups of demonstrators appeared almost out of nowhere to block important roads. Thousands of protesters blocked roads leading from the airport in the northern city of Rostock to the summit venue 60 km away, although the G8 leaders. Summit leaders were able to fly by helicopter from a nearby airport into the exclusive Heiligendamm beach resort, but lesser staff in cars and buses were caught in traffic jams on the ground.
Also, the protesters, including a 'clown army', targeted support staff and the 4,000 journalists accredited to cover the summit, cutting off a steam train link between the media centre and summit hotel. The journalists were eventually taken in by sea in German navy boats.
The cops were also forced to admit that some 10,000 protesters even managed to make it as far as the 12-kilometer-long security fence built around Heiligendamm for the summit.
One of the leaders of the protests at the G8 summit told a television interviewer Wednesday that a sit-down blockade around the summit compound would continue for three days.
Asked if the protesters would withdraw at night, Sven Giegold of Attac, one of the main protest groups, said on N24 television, "We'll stay here as long as this summit stays here."
An activist group said police had used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators. Several protesters were injured.
Reporters said the situation was tense, amid the pounding noise of helicopters coming and going with police reinforcements.
The United States said Wednesday that it opposes setting firm targets for greenhouse gas cuts at the G8 summit.
The following is from German IndyMedia
G8 Blockade On Main Road To Heiligendamm
Thousands of people left Reddelich camp early this morning to take part in the first day of blockades against the G8 summit. The main group which consisted of well over 5000 people moved towards the fence through fields and country roads. Other smaller affinity groups also left towards the fence 'protecting' Heiligendamm. Here there are a few photos of the main blockade which managed to break well inside the designated 'no-protest' zone, and successfully occupied the main road leading to Heiligendamm from the town of Bad Doberan, and just a few hundred meters away from the fence that protects the so-called 'red zone'.
At the time of publishing this report the blockade is still on, and growing in numbers as protesters from an earlier blockade of a military airport nearby are joining in. Police are bringing in water cannons and small tanks, but the protestors are staying put and resisting the blockade, some of which planning to stay overnight.
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