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| Protesters and the Police Clash Near E.C.B.’s New Headquarters | Protesters and the Police Clash Near E.C.B.’s New Headquarters |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| FRANKFURT — Protesters set cars on fire and clashed with police officers on Wednesday as they marched toward the European Central Bank’s new headquarters in a demonstration against European austerity programs and capitalism. | |
| The rally, organized by a group called Blockupy and German workers’ unions, drew thousands of people as the central bank inaugurated its new tower. Blockupy is a left-wing alliance of dozens of activist groups from across Europe. Its members include one of the largest German labor unions, Ver.di, and Syriza, the Greek political party that is now leading the government in Athens. | The rally, organized by a group called Blockupy and German workers’ unions, drew thousands of people as the central bank inaugurated its new tower. Blockupy is a left-wing alliance of dozens of activist groups from across Europe. Its members include one of the largest German labor unions, Ver.di, and Syriza, the Greek political party that is now leading the government in Athens. |
| The European Central Bank is one of Greece’s main creditors, and it is part of the so-called troika of international organizations that are supervising the Greek bailout program that the Syriza-led government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is trying to renegotiate. The two other creditor groups are the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund, which, with the central bank, are widely blamed for imposing austerity measures on countries that have needed bailouts. | |
| Rosina Sfyridou, a German of Greek descent who lives in Frankfurt and was among a small group carrying a Syriza flag near the Main River at midday, said she wanted to fight for democracy and social justice, and not only in Greece. | Rosina Sfyridou, a German of Greek descent who lives in Frankfurt and was among a small group carrying a Syriza flag near the Main River at midday, said she wanted to fight for democracy and social justice, and not only in Greece. |
| “The troika is making life difficult,” she said. “Schools are closing. Greeks can’t get proper health care. I have family there; we’re closer to the problem.” | |
| Panagiotis Tsianakas, also a German of Greek descent, echoed those sentiments. “The European finance ministers are brushing democracy to the side,” he said as he headed to a central square to hear a speech from a representative of Syriza, Giorgos Chondros. | Panagiotis Tsianakas, also a German of Greek descent, echoed those sentiments. “The European finance ministers are brushing democracy to the side,” he said as he headed to a central square to hear a speech from a representative of Syriza, Giorgos Chondros. |
| “We need a European organization against austerity, and that organization has started here today,” Mr. Chondros told a cheering crowd of about 8,000. They were gathered at a central square in Frankfurt and listened to Mr. Chondros as a helicopter hovered overhead. | |
| Antagonism has been growing between Greece and Germany, Athens’s biggest European lender, even as Athens tries to negotiate a better debt deal with its eurozone partners. “Our battle in Greece is a battle for all Europeans,” Mr. Chondros told the crowd. | Antagonism has been growing between Greece and Germany, Athens’s biggest European lender, even as Athens tries to negotiate a better debt deal with its eurozone partners. “Our battle in Greece is a battle for all Europeans,” Mr. Chondros told the crowd. |
| Demonstrators lounged in the sun, picnicked and rolled cigarettes as they listened to speakers, including Miguel Urban of the Spanish party Podemos. The social activist and author Naomi Klein was scheduled to speak later in the afternoon. | |
| Since 2012, activists have occasionally handed out leaflets in front of the central bank’s headquarters, but there had been little organized protest in Frankfurt until Wednesday. | Since 2012, activists have occasionally handed out leaflets in front of the central bank’s headquarters, but there had been little organized protest in Frankfurt until Wednesday. |
| In the morning, as a group of roughly 400 demonstrators tried to cross a bridge over the Main River and head toward the tower, they were blocked by the police. Smaller groups burned cars, furniture, trash and bikes nearby. Hundreds of police officers in riot gear guarded an area around the European Central Bank. | |
| Employees of the central bank began moving into the new headquarters, which cost 1.2 billion euros, or about $1.27 billion, near the end of last year. Away from downtown Frankfurt on a parklike site overlooking the Main River, the roughly 600-foot-high tinted-glass tower is a more potent symbol of central bank power than the generic gray high-rise in central Frankfurt that it previously occupied. | |
| The inauguration ceremony on Wednesday was scaled back in response to the protests. In addition, some European Central Bank employees were encouraged to work from home on Wednesday, though a central bank spokesman said that the institution was “fully operational.” | The inauguration ceremony on Wednesday was scaled back in response to the protests. In addition, some European Central Bank employees were encouraged to work from home on Wednesday, though a central bank spokesman said that the institution was “fully operational.” |
| Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, acknowledged in a speech inaugurating the headquarters that European unity was being strained and that “people are going through very difficult times.” | Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, acknowledged in a speech inaugurating the headquarters that European unity was being strained and that “people are going through very difficult times.” |
| As a European Union institution “that has played a central role throughout the crisis, the E.C.B. has become a focal point for those frustrated with this situation,” Mr. Draghi said in prepared remarks. “This may not be a fair charge – our action has been aimed precisely at cushioning the shocks suffered by the economy. But as the central bank of the whole euro area, we must listen very carefully to what all our citizens are saying.” | As a European Union institution “that has played a central role throughout the crisis, the E.C.B. has become a focal point for those frustrated with this situation,” Mr. Draghi said in prepared remarks. “This may not be a fair charge – our action has been aimed precisely at cushioning the shocks suffered by the economy. But as the central bank of the whole euro area, we must listen very carefully to what all our citizens are saying.” |
| Many businesses near the headquarters shut their doors, and residents watched the action on the street from their windows, coffee and cameras in hand. | Many businesses near the headquarters shut their doors, and residents watched the action on the street from their windows, coffee and cameras in hand. |
| One protester, a woman from Denmark who would give her name only as Sara, said she arrived on an overnight bus with about 80 others to show her disdain for the way the capitalist system enriches some but impoverishes others. | One protester, a woman from Denmark who would give her name only as Sara, said she arrived on an overnight bus with about 80 others to show her disdain for the way the capitalist system enriches some but impoverishes others. |
| “I believe in fighting against the system,” she said, taking a break in a bakery after having inhaled tear gas that was apparently released by officers after a group of demonstrators set fire to a police car. “It won’t change if you don’t do something. I am here for solidarity.” | “I believe in fighting against the system,” she said, taking a break in a bakery after having inhaled tear gas that was apparently released by officers after a group of demonstrators set fire to a police car. “It won’t change if you don’t do something. I am here for solidarity.” |
| At the police barricades at the European Central Bank, isolated demonstrators showed signs bearing slogans like “ECB = Monetary Fascism.” On the ground, someone wrote in blue chalk, “Your house is built on corpses.” | |
| A representative from the Committee for Civil Rights and Democracy, Martin Singe, who was attending the demonstration as an observer, said that protesters were supposed to be allowed closer to the central bank tower but were stopped prematurely, limiting the impact of pictures and television segments from the march. | A representative from the Committee for Civil Rights and Democracy, Martin Singe, who was attending the demonstration as an observer, said that protesters were supposed to be allowed closer to the central bank tower but were stopped prematurely, limiting the impact of pictures and television segments from the march. |
| Mr. Singe, whose organization is based in Cologne and assesses whether laws governing demonstrations are followed, said that Frankfurt did not allow demonstrators access to public space for organizing before the march. “It appears the police were expecting violence and therefore may have induced it,” he said. | |
| The European Central Bank drew smaller, orderly protests when it met in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 5. The demonstrators were mostly Cypriots who objected to what they said was the central bank’s focus on helping banks rather than eurozone citizens. | The European Central Bank drew smaller, orderly protests when it met in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 5. The demonstrators were mostly Cypriots who objected to what they said was the central bank’s focus on helping banks rather than eurozone citizens. |
| The previous European Central Bank building was the focal point of protests beginning in October 2011 as part of the global Occupy movement. Protesters objected to what they said was the central bank’s distance from democratic processes and its role in the center of the global financial system. | The previous European Central Bank building was the focal point of protests beginning in October 2011 as part of the global Occupy movement. Protesters objected to what they said was the central bank’s distance from democratic processes and its role in the center of the global financial system. |
| An encampment with an estimated 60 to 100 protesters persisted in a grassy area below the previous headquarters building until the police cleared it in August 2012, after complaints that it had become infested with rats and housed more homeless people than protesters. | An encampment with an estimated 60 to 100 protesters persisted in a grassy area below the previous headquarters building until the police cleared it in August 2012, after complaints that it had become infested with rats and housed more homeless people than protesters. |
| The eviction took place without any major incidents. The German police have experience in dealing with protesters of every political stripe, and they are skilled at containing violence and avoiding physical confrontation. | The eviction took place without any major incidents. The German police have experience in dealing with protesters of every political stripe, and they are skilled at containing violence and avoiding physical confrontation. |
| Sven Giegold, a member of the Greens in the European Parliament who speaks for the party on monetary policy issues, said he supported the protests and would attend. But, in a statement, he questioned whether the European Central Bank was the right site for the protests. | Sven Giegold, a member of the Greens in the European Parliament who speaks for the party on monetary policy issues, said he supported the protests and would attend. But, in a statement, he questioned whether the European Central Bank was the right site for the protests. |
| “The main responsibility for the unsocial and economically counterproductive euro policy of the troika is located in the capitals of the eurozone,” Mr. Giegold said. | “The main responsibility for the unsocial and economically counterproductive euro policy of the troika is located in the capitals of the eurozone,” Mr. Giegold said. |
| “Berlin, Paris, Rome and Athens would be the correct addresses for the demonstrations,” Mr. Giegold said. He gave the central bank credit for rescuing the eurozone from bad decision making by European political leaders. | “Berlin, Paris, Rome and Athens would be the correct addresses for the demonstrations,” Mr. Giegold said. He gave the central bank credit for rescuing the eurozone from bad decision making by European political leaders. |