Protesters block road to G7 summit

About 200 people rallied in the Bavarian mountain town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Sunday and tried to march towards the Elmau Castle where a G7 summit of the world’s richest countries is getting underway.

Demonstrating against capitalism, war and global warming, they said they wanted the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable to be heard.

“We want to protest peacefully for a balance between rich and poor. I am one of the rich people who can carry a sign for the poor and can be present for them,” said Bernd Froecker, a militant from the Garmisch region.

Around 20,000 police officers have been deployed in the area to maintain security, over a 16-km perimeter surrounding Elmau Castle.

Still, demonstrators held a sit-in that blocked the road leading to the venue – forcing the G7 leaders to make the final stretch of their journey by helicopter.

The summit runs from Sunday through Monday.