Anti-G7 protests continue as Obama and Merkel share sausage and beer

Protests continued as the meeting between Group of Seven (G7) world leaders began on Sunday, providing a stark contrast to the summit’s idyllic setting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a traditional Bavarian breakfast in the Alpine town of Krün to welcome American President Barack Obama, Reuters reports. The festivities included sausage, pretzels, beer, lederhosen, a chorus of alpine horns, and reportedly the kind of post-NSA leak tension that you could cut with whatever the German word for knife is.

The heads of state joined fellow leaders from Japan, Italy, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union at nearby Schloss Elmau hotel, where the G7 summit would take place later that day.

However, they had to be flown in via helicopter as anti-G7 protesters had blocked the primary road leading to the Schloss Elmau, according to The Guardian. The paper also reports that some demonstrators attempted to break through a security fence that had been built around the luxury venue using bolt cutters.

The hundreds of protesters on Sunday morning join the tens of thousands of people (and six clowns) who have been protesting against the G7 summit’s perceived emphasis on business interests over issues like human rights and the refugee crisis.

Reuters reports that Saturday’s march in nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen saw “sporadic clashes” between protesters and law enforcement, which resulted in “several” marchers being transported to the hospital.