Protesters attack riot police at G8 summit

Hundreds of masked protesters hurled stones and bottles at police during a demonstration today by tens of thousands of people against the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Germany.

Police officials confirmed that some 146 officers were hurt in the clashes, 18 of them seriously.

The rioting created chaotic scenes of smoke and tear gas near the harbour of the northern port of Rostock as protesters broke paving stones into missile-size pieces and charged at police, who were equipped with helmets and full body armour.

Officers backed off under a hail of stones, then countercharged. A police car was destroyed and another parked car set alight, spreading black smoke over the area, as tear gas stung the eyes of demonstrators. Police turned water cannons on one group.

"The police were attacked massively from the violent protesters," said Police spokesman Frank Scheulen. "They threw bottles, fire crackers, rocks and Molotov cocktails."

He estimated the number of violence-minded demonstrators at about 2,000. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000, while organisers said it was 80,000.

Demonstrator Peter Mueller had tears streaming from bloodshot eyes after the tear gas was released. "As long as the police were in the background it was OK, but as soon as one took a step closer, it went out of control," he said.

He shrugged. "What can you do? So ends the peaceful protest."

At one point, a long line of police marched through a harbourside street to scatter demonstrators, and were pelted with stones from behind. One of the organisers pleaded for calm from a loudspeaker.

"The police are heading back so we can hold our protest in peace, that is what we want," he said.

The officially-permitted march precedes the three-day summit beginning on Wednesday in the seaside resort of Heiligendamm, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the leaders of the other G8 nations - Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States. The leaders are expected to discuss measures against global warming, the fight against Aids and poverty in Africa, and the world economy.

The march began without violence, and most of the demonstrators remained peaceful, gathering to listen to speeches from a stage in a large square near the waterfront.

But some taunted members of the 13,000-strong police detachment from around Germany, and several hundred wore bandanas across their faces with sweat shirt hoods pulled down low to obscure their identities.