Dozens of people have been hurt and some 350 people
arrested as anti-austerity demonstrators clashed with police in the German city
of Frankfurt.
Police cars were set alight and stones were thrown in a
protest against the opening of a new base for the European Central Bank (ECB).
Violence broke out close to the city's Alte Oper concert
hall hours before the ECB building's official opening.
Thousands of "Blockupy" activists were due to
take part in a rally.
Organisers were bringing a left-wing alliance of
protesters from across Germany and the rest of Europe to voice their anger at
the ECB's role in austerity measures in EU member states, most recently Greece.
The bank, in charge of managing the euro, is also
responsible for framing eurozone policy and, along with the IMF and European
Commission, has set conditions for bailouts in Ireland, Greece, Portugal and
Cyprus.
Police set up a cordon of barbed wire outside the bank's new
185m (600ft) double-tower skyscraper, next to the River Main.
But hopes of a peaceful rally were dashed as clashes began
early on Wednesday.
Tyres and rubbish bins were set alight and police
responded with water cannon as firefighters complained they were unable to get
to the fires to put them out. One fire engine appeared to have had its
windscreen broken.
Activists said many protesters had been hurt by police
batons, water cannon and by pepper spray.
Police said as many as 80 of their officers had been
affected by pepper spray or an acidic liquid. Eight suffered injuries from
stone-throwing protesters.
Police spokeswoman Claudia Rogalski spoke of an
"aggressive atmosphere" and the Frankfurt force tweeted images of a
police van being attacked. They were braced for further violence as increasing
numbers of activists arrived for the rally.
Blockupy accused police of using kettling tactics to
cordon off hundreds of protesters and appealed for supporters to press for
their release.
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