( dpa )- Hundreds of leftists and pacifists gathered Saturday in downtown Munich to demonstrate against the annual conference of western politicians and NATO military commanders in the German city.
The protesters were kept well away from the city hotel hosting the Munich Security Conference, which brings together presidents, prime ministers and more than 40 foreign and defence ministers.
Police and protest organizers said they expected about 5,000 demonstrators to gather by evening, hear speeches and then march through the city. They would not be allowed into the cordoned-off zone within earshot of the hotel.
The Bayerischer Hof hotel has 3,700 police and 110 armed soldiers on duty to protect it.