German police attempt to break up anti-racism rally in Hamburg

Police in the northern German city of Hamburg on Friday said they had intervened to disperse attendees of an anti-racism rally they claimed were not adhering to coronavirus restrictions.

Around 1,500 people attended the demonstration, which was linked to last week's killing by US police of African-American man George Floyd.

The event had originally been registered for 250 participants outside the US consulate along the banks of Hamburg's Alster river, a police spokesperson said.

Police declared the event over after just half an hour, claiming attendees had violated police instructions to observe coronavirus restrictions such as keeping a safe distance from one another and wearing a covering over their lower faces.

However, the crowds did not immediately disperse, with photos posted on social media showing people sitting instead on the ground.

German politician Christiane Schneider of the hard-left Die Linke posted a picture on Twitter using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter she claimed showed a police water cannon ready for deployment against the crowd.

The demonstration was registered under the motto "Justice for Floyd - stop killing blacks - stop the racial terrorism in the USA."