Berlin police expressed disappointment that their attempts to prevent May Day violence, which has plagued the German capital every year for 15 years, had once again failed
Published:
2 May 2003 y., Friday
Anarchists tipped over a number of cars and set them ablaze on Thursday night and threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at police and journalists.
But police spokesman Karsten Graefe said a small number of assailants were to blame for the violence.
"It's depressing when a small number of violent assailants ruins celebrations for everyone else," said Graefe, the chief Berlin spokesman.
After years of fighting open street battles with protesters on May Day, police switched tactics last year to a more passive approach in hopes of lowering tensions and preventing violence.
Police said "a good number of people" were detained and several injured people were seen being carried away from street battles between the left-wing anarchists and helmet-clad riot police.
Berlin police tried to prevent any escalation and initially made no moves against demonstrations that turned violent in the Kreuzberg district.
Some 2,500 riot police in the quarter stood by at first as a few stones and bottles were thrown. But authorities later fired tear gas and water cannons when the number of flung bottles and stones increased and the attackers began toppling cars and setting them on fire.
Šaltinis:
abc.net.au
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
The fate of blue fin tuna hangs in the balance this week as a complete ban on the trade is debated by MEPs.
more »
A $100 million pledge from the Government of Japan has helped to secure the funding base and launch the operational phase of two new climate programs supporting forest management and renewable energy investments in developing countries.
more »
Europeans quite happy with their personal situation, but less satisfied with economic and social climate in their country.
more »
Spain wishes to “make as much progress as possible” to ensure the EU becomes party to the Council of Europe's Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms soon, according to the Spanish Minister for Justice, Francisco Caamaño, at today's opening of a seminar on the challenges and possibilities arising from the Treaty of Lisbon coming into force.
more »
According to Belarusian tradition, a stork brings good fortune to the village it settles in while in western culture the stork is commonly associated with childbirth.
more »
The World Bank Board of Directors today approved an additional financing credit to the Republic of Moldova in the amount of US $20 million for the Social Investment Fund II Project.
more »
The Spanish Health and Social Policy Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, and the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, addressed the press in Madrid on the launch of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010.
more »
The European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the EU will tomorrow launch the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
more »
Smoking at a restaurant like this one in Spain could soon be a thing of the past. Spanish lawmakers want to stub out the habit in public places like bars and restaurants. But it's an unpopular proposal in a country where around 30 percent of the population smoke.
more »
As President of the European Economic and Social Committee, I would like, on behalf of all the Committee's members, to express my sympathy to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
more »