G20 Summit 2017 in Germany - Hamburg Under Siege
Germany is the host of the G20 summit talks in 2017 and Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Hamburg’s first Mayor, Olaf Scholz, to host this event in Hamburg. Olaf Scholz agreed and assured safety to the public. He even claimed that: “On July 9th, some people will be surprised that the summit is already over.”
Hamburg is known to be an open, diverse and international city due to its large and 828 years old harbor. And because of this, Hamburg also carries the nickname "Gate to the World."
But when it comes to hosting the G20 summit in Hamburg, most residents are opposed to having this event in their metropolitan city. While there is general support for the idea that leaders of the world should talk to each other and try to effectively tackle the urgent inequity and environmental challenges of our planet, the majority also thinks that this event should not have been hosted in the middle of our metropolitan city, but rather in a more remote place where the implications and security concerns would have been much less to worry about.
Additionally, the event takes place in the most alternative part of town that had a long history of, let's say, not reacting well to gentrification, turbo capitalism, and inequality of minorities. To these residents, it's seen as a blatant provocation to host this event tight in the middle of their “hood” and adds fuel to a G20 summit event that already has a long history of protests and violence.
With this photo series, I documented the "under siege" area with my camera just days before the G20 summit started on July 7th & 8th. Many residents of Hamburg foresaw the riots, but the first mayor, Olaf Scholz, did not. Or at least he found that the benefits of hosting the G20 in Hamburg outweighed the potential harm.
Update: Did the misjudgment of the G20 in Hamburg hurt Olaf Scholz politically? Not really: In March 2018, Olaf Scholz was elected minister of finance and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, next to Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Update 2: On December 8th, 2021 Olaf Scholz was elected as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany…
Small home made protest sign in a residential building.
A total of 20,000 policeman and policewomen are in Hamburg to guard the G20 summit.
The police are present with info stands in the areas that are affected by the lockdown and limited access rules.
A lot of places in the affected G20 summit area are fenced up with barbed wires
Signs with quotes from Donald Trump show up to use his words to protest the G20 event.
Many stores in the lockdown area have to take mandatory holidays as customers can't reach the stores without permits. The loss of revenue is a price to pay for shop owners.
This motivated many shop owners to show their protest against the G20 in Hamburg: "G20 you should not be here"
As G20 events come with violent protest and riots, many stores board up their windows.
Others hang up signs and ask to spare their stores from damaging them as they are also against the G20 politics.
Those signs don't always work, though.
The alternative scene living close to the G20 venue has clear words voicing their opposition.
The "Rote Flora" is historically the center of all political anti inequality and capitalism protest.
Many protest banners are also aimed towards environmental protection. Instead of "XYZ Nation First" they want to see "Planet Earth First".
Alternative G20 events revolve around solidarity without borders and friendship as opposed to hate.
The Hamburg police had been fighting legal battles with protest organizers who wanted out of town protesters to sleep in a protest camp. "Yes we camp" is their slogan to protest the camp ban.
Even the house of anarchy needs organized structures to protest effectively.
Beer prices are stable at Schanzenviertel even during the G20 summit.
Even traffic lights carry protest messages for the G20 summit.
To sum it up: Many citizens of Hamburg want the G20 summit to just go away.