Protesters gather in Hamburg for G20 summit with green issues high on their agenda

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Thousands rallied in Hamburg on Sunday to protest against next week's G20 summit, where US President Donald Trump is due to make his maiden appearance at the forum of major economies.

A police spokesman put the turnout at the demonstration –the first of dozens scheduled in the run-up to the summit on Friday and Saturday, at around 10,000, while the organizers said the figure was far higher.

The protest was "completely peaceful," the police spokesman told media. The gathering outside city hall took place in parallel with protests by canoeists on the nearby river Alster, while in the port of Hamburg, Greenpeace staged a climate demonstration near a ship laden with coal.

Protestors massed on land and water ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg on July 2, 2017. /AFP Photo

The Group of 20 (G20) comprises leaders of the world's major industrialized and emerging economies.

Hamburg is a bustling city that is also known as an anti-establishment bastion.

Around 30 protests have been scheduled ahead of the summit, and the organizers are hoping for a total turnout of more than 100,000 people.

Hamburg is a citadel of left-wing radicals, and the authorities say they are bracing for possible clashes and property damage.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, in the Sunday edition of the daily Bild, warned that any violence "should be nipped in the bud." "Freedom of assembly is only valid for peaceful demonstrations," he said.

Around 15,000 police will be deployed to protect the summit, in addition to 3,800 officers monitoring airport and train security.

(Source: AFP)

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