Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Hamburg as leaders from the most powerful nations in the world gather in the German city for the two-day G20 summit.

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They’re protesting capitalism, climate policy, and globalization, among other issues, Al Jazeera reported.

Security officials were prepared with about 20,000 on-duty police officers for the summit, some dressed in riot gear in anticipation of escalating tensions.

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The leaders attending the G20 summit represent 19 countries and the European Union, 80% of the global GDP, 80% of global emissions, and two-thirds of the world’s population. They are expected to discuss climate change, terrorism, migration, and other other issues.

Protesters spread across various Hamburg neighborhoods on Friday. In some areas, officials and protesters clashed, prompting law enforcement to call for backup. Police said that 159 officers have been injured since Thursday, and additional backup was requested from outside Hamburg.

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During the clashes, some activists broke windows, torched patrol cars, and bombarded police barricades. Protests resumed early Friday as activists flooded the city’s central intersections in attempts to block the summit attendees’ routes to the site of the meeting.

Here are 12 powerful images from the unfolding events:

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12 Powerful Images From the G20 Protests in Hamburg

By Avery Friedman