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Kremlin believes G20 summit not affected by protests

The Kremlin spokesman says the G20 summit in Hamburg was excellently organized, anti-globalization protests did not affect it

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The G20 summit in Hamburg was excellently organized, anti-globalization protests did not affect it, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

"Putin thanked [German Chancellor Angela Merkel - TASS] for the cordial reception and the excellent organization of the summit. The Germans indeed created excellent conditions for the summit, and Putin noted that," he told the Rossiya 1 TV channel.

When asked about the impact of the anti-globalization protests on the summit, Peskov noted that they did not affect the work of the G20. "Such disorderly behavior does take place sometimes. I did not see people there in Hamburg who could explain clearly what they do not like and what they urge the heads of state and government to do. Since I did not see that, I regarded that as pure hooliganism," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Anti-globalization protests took place in Hamburg on Friday evening and overnight to Saturday. The protesters built barricades at intersections, set benches on fire and broke bottles. The unrest did not stop overnight to Sunday despite the end of the summit and despite the fact that operations to detain participants in the riots were underway in the city on Saturday. Riot police was used to disperse the protesters.

More than 400 police officers were injured during the protests, while over one hundred extremists were arrested. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to admit that the G20 leaders had been able to feel the protests. German Justice Minister Heiko Maas spoke out in favor of tough actions against those took part in the riots in Hamburg, adding that the right to protest should not be a blessing for extremists.