Germany: Riot police pepper spray anti-G7 protesters as clashes kick off in Bavaria

Clashes erupted between protesters and riot police as thousands of G7 opponents swarmed the small Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Saturday, to protest against the summit. Police used pepper spray in a bid to disperse protesters, after altercations kicked off during the demonstration. Protesters carried anti-G7 banners and flags and chanted slogans, while being accompanied by a heavy police presence that was deployed to maintain control over the situation. After reaching Garmisch-Partenkirchen main station, the demonstrators united with another group of activists who had been waiting for them to arrive. The G7 nations - comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US - will meet in Bavaria, Germany for a two-day summit starting Sunday. This year's summit is estimated to cost just over €130 million ($144 million) according to official figures; while the German Taxpayers Federation believes it may cost the German state some €360 million ($400 million). The G7, formerly known as the G8, excluded Russia from the group of industrialised democracies in March 2014, citing its reunification with Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine as the principle reasons.