Police in Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland have searched several addresses in connection with three nights of violence that accompanied last July's G20 summit. The "Black Bloc" task force has made a first arrest.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loos
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Raids took place in four European countries early on Tuesday as part of the investigation into riots at the G20 summit in Hamburg last July.
Hamburg police said the searches took place in Italy, Spain, Switzerland and France, where authorities were hunting a male suspect linked to the disorder. A European arrest warrant has been issued.
In Switzerland, a 27-year-old man was arrested at his apartment near Zürich.
German public broadcaster NDR reported that apartments in Rome, Genoa, and Madrid were among those searched, including properties linked to the left-wing scene.
The raids were carried out with the support of several law enforcement agencies, and Eurojust — the European agency that deals with judicial cross-border cooperation.
Raids were conducted in four European cities in the hunt for suspects linked to last July's violence at the Hamburg G20 summitImage: picture-alliance/dpa
The Hamburg G20 summit — a meeting of the world's 20 biggest industrial and emerging market nations — witnessed large anti-globalization protests in several locations around the city.
Hamburg: G20 protests in pictures
Anti-G20 protests in Hamburg have been both peaceful and violent. Up to 100,000 protesters took part in demonstrations.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/D.Bockwoldt
"Schanzenviertel" covered in debris
This part of town was the scene of escalating violence. That did not come as a surprise: The quarter is traditionally the hub of Hamburg's leftist activists. It has been subject to gentrification, turning into a "hip" place to live and magnet for tourists.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A.Heimken
A night of devastation
Police regained control over the streets of Hamburg in the early hours of the morning.
Image: Reuters/P. Kopczynski
Looting and rioting
Several shops were looted and damaged during the first day of protests.
Image: Reuters/P. Kopczynski
Smoke bombs
Black block protesters were throwing flares at police from behind street baracades. It took several hours for police to really push back in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/O. Messinger
Fires were lit and shops looted
Fires were set in Hamburg streets and some cars were burned out.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Andersen
Burning barricades
Protesters lit barricades on Friday evening. Throughout the city cars had been set on fire.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loos
Violence took over as night fell
Cars were burned and barricades set alight as a violent mob stepped up its actions, sidelining the majority of mainly peaceful protesters.
Image: Reuters/H. Hanschke
Black Bloc
Police blamed anarchists with the so-called Black Bloc movement for much of the violence. Black Bloc protesters wear all black and cover their faces to avoid being identified.
Image: picture-alliance/CITYPRESS 24/H. Hay
Battle of G20 Hamburg
Riot police disperse crowds with water cannon vehicles on Friday.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Schrader
Armored vehicles on the streets
Police use water against a woman after she climbed on top of an armoured carrier on Friday.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Schrader
Chasing protesters
Police chased protesters up a hill to gain control of the streets.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Schrader
War zone
A picture published on social media shows smoke rising from the streets during protests on Friday.
Image: Reuters/Social Media
Children among those affected
Violent protests turned several neighborhoods where children usually play into scenes from a warzone.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Heimken/
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Three nights of riots
Violence erupted over three nights, with dozens of buildings damaged, stores looted and vehicles set on fire. Around 200 police officers were injured in skirmishes with activists from far-left groups, dressed in dark clothing and face masks to hide their identity.
Authorities estimated that damage worth €12 million ($15 million) was caused by the violence that saw the participation of between 5-6,000 people. More than 400 people were arrested over the course of the three nights.
A special task force has been combing through terabytes of police footage, CCTV recordings and private videos with the help of facial recognition software and geolocation data to track down the perpetrators.
