The authorized anti-globalization march, which was held June 2 ahead of a three-day G-8 summit scheduled to begin Wednesday in the Germany city of Heiligendamm, turned into violent clashes between riot police and protesters, in which 304 police were hurt and 27 of them seriously injured, the Rostock police department said.
The summits of the G-8 group of industrialized nations, which include Germany, Britain, France, Japan, Canada, Italy, the United States and Russia, are held each year to discuss global economic development and other important issues. However, anti-globalization protests have become a routine part of such annual meetings.
Most protesters rallied peacefully during the Rostock anti-globalization march but some demonstrators, who were masked, used paving stones, sticks and bottles to hurl at the riot police. The police had to use tear gas, batons and water cannons to disperse the rioters.
More than 100 anti-globalization activists were detained during the Rostock anti-G8 summit protest, the police department said but gave no figures on the number of protesters injured in the clashes.
The organizers of the peaceful anti-globalization march denounced the violent actions by the radical demonstrators.
