Police Injured in Clashes With Protesters Before G8 Summit

Eight police officers were injured today in clashes with anti-capitalist protesters trying to disrupt the start of the G8 summit in northern Germany.

German police have been using water cannon in a few areas to try to push back demonstrators, some of whom have been throwing stones and trying to blockade routes to the G8 summit site.

The clashes in which police were hurt were north-east of the town of Bad Doberan, where there is a main road from the airport in Rostock to the luxury hotel hosting the summit in the Baltic seaside town of Heiligendamm.

By early afternoon, police estimated around 10,000 demonstrators had breached initial security measures to reach an imposing eight-mile razor-wire fence put up around Heiligendamm, where the G8 leaders were gathering today.

Police spokesman Luedger Behrens told Reuters that officers had "used water cannons twice after demonstrators bombarded police with stones," near Bad Doberan. Extra officers were being flown to Bad Doberan by helicopter.

Mr Behrens said the demonstrators were violating a ban on demonstrations in the area and risked arrest. Around 2,000 protesters were believed to be hardcore anarchists intent on breaching the fence, which cost some £8.5m to build.

Aerial shots showed crowds of thousands of protesters walking along railway lines towards the fence. Many of the protesters had separated into smaller groups. While water cannons were being used in some areas, police said many of the demonstrators were peaceful so far.

Police spokesman Manfred Luetjann said protesters had managed to block two routes leading from the airport. Mr Luetjann said that protesters had blocked the A19 and B105 roads from Laage airport, where George Bush's Air Force One landed yesterday and where leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Tony Blair were expected later today.

"We wanted to prevent this from happening but now they are there and we are handling it," Mr Luetjann said.

One small group of protesters had swarmed over a small-gauge railway used to transport journalists to Heiligendamm from the summit centre in nearby Kuehlungsborn, running in various directions until a detachment of riot gear corralled them in one area.

About 3,000 protesters were fanning their way through wheat fields near the village of Steinbeck, about five miles to the east of Heiligendamm. Some 16,000 police officers have been deployed to stop attempts to disrupt the summit.

Earlier, police were stopping and searching demonstrators in Rostock, where violence broke out at the weekend, in an apparent attempt to slow down their progress on the 15-mile route to the conference venue.

German authorities last week began locking down Heiligendamm, a spa resort on Germany's north-east coast, allowing only residents and people involved with the G8 inside the perimeter area. The security arrangements also affected rail routes, and boats were ordered to stay clear of the area.

An attempt to extend the security zone by several miles was rejected by a regional court.