BERLIN - Protesters in Hamburg clashed with police, set vehicles on fire, and targeted municipal infrastructure as German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially opened the two-day G20 summit on Friday.
Hundreds of protesters attempted to forcibly enter areas cordoned-off by authorities, known as the "high security zone", to upset the schedule for the first day of meetings between international leaders.
Cars have been set ablaze at various locations throughout the city while protesters blocked an important junction at the city's harbor.
Around 19,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure the safety of the global dignitaries attending the summit. Several police helicopters are circling the skies above Hamburg and a ban on public gatherings is in place in parts of the city until the summit ends at 5:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Saturday.
Federal police have reported an arson attack on one of its stations in the Altona district where protesters threw firebombs, causing damage to three police vehicles.
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