Hundreds dress like zombies at ‘Welcome to hell’ protest ahead of G20 summit in Hamburg
The streets of Hamburg looked like a scene from Night of the Living Dead
HUNDREDS of activists dressed up like zombies to protest against the G20 summit in a “Welcome to hell” demonstration.
The streets of Hamburg looked like a scene from Night of the Living Dead as protesters covered in grey clay shuffled through the city centre in a trance-like state.
Once they assembled in a central square, the activists ripped off their outer grey coverings to reveal naked bodies or colourful clothing.
The peaceful left-wing protest was intended to make a powerful statement just as world leaders including Donald Trump arrived at the German city.
"We are calling on the world to make Hamburg a focal point of the resistance against the old and new capitalist authorities," said the organisers.
Catalina Lopez, one of the organisers, told Reuters TV: "The goal of our performance today is to move the people in their hearts, to give them the motivation to get politically engaged again.
"We want to create an image, because we believe in the power of images...we want to motivate people to take part.
"To free themselves from their crusted shells, to take part in the political process."
The “Welcome to Hell” demonstration, organised by the collective 1,000 Gestalten (1,000 Figures), is one of dozens of protests expected to take place.
In the weeks leading up to the summit, police cars have been burned and train lines have been sabotaged.
Authorities in Hamburg and the nearby city of Rostock have confiscated improvised weapons such as fire-extinguishers filled with flammable liquid, baseball bats and other items in several raids.
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"We have to assume that this is only a tiny percentage of what is still in basements and garages in and around Hamburg," Hamburg police criminal director Jan Hieber told reporters this week.
In a preview of things likely to come, police clashed in Hamburg with hundreds of protesters Tuesday night, using pepper spray and water cannons to eventually bring the crowd under control.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told community organizers in Hamburg that she understood the importance of demonstrations to express criticism and concerns, but urged them to remain non-violent.
“It should be peaceful criticism,” she said in June.
