The atmosphere was tense in Hamburg on Tuesday evening, July 4, as police and anti-G20 protesters faced off in the city centre.

Thousands had gathered in parts of the St Pauli neighbourhood amid a heavy police presence, occupying sidewalks and street corners with stalls and banners in a show of protest against the upcoming G20 summit in the city. Police later used water cannon to try to disperse the crowds, as this footage shows.

Protesters and police already had their first standoff July 2 over a protest camp in Entenwerder, where protesters reported scuffles and the use of pepper spray against them. Activists had erected a protest camp after a court ordered police to lift a ban on such camps. However, disputes arose when police prohibited protesters from spending the night in the camp. The decision over the overnight use of the camp has been referred back to the courts. Credit: Mehmet Yildiz via Storyful