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Rioters Clash With Cops After Street Festival

5:35am, Sunday September 05, 2010
Jo Couzens

Around 300 left-wing protesters have clashed with police in Hamburg after an all-night street festival in the central Schanze neighbourhood.



Riot police run past smoke bombs during the clashes after a street party in Hamburg

The violence erupted when youths threw rocks and bottles at police and set light to barricades. Officers responded by turning water canon on the crowds. Similar riots broke out during last year's street festival when left-wing activists protested against a far-right rally. Anticipating a repeat of the violent scenes, police had deployed about 2,000 officers in the area.



Protesters threw rocks and bottles at police

But some of the rioters still managed to cause damage to a bank branch and smash the windows of a supermarket. According to local media reports, several rioters were arrested and two policemen were lightly wounded. Before the clashes broke out, residents in the neighbourhood had tried to stop the protesters from throwing bottles and rocks. The annual street party attracts large crowds with its music and food stalls in the central district of the German city and frequently sees clashes between protesters and police.