How about this? POLICE CHANGE SIDES!

[reorg]

55. I see some police officers smiling

Last edited Thu May 24, 2012, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

- apparently, they were humored by some or other carnivalesque display.

I don't know what it was, maybe they were looking at the Alebrije representing the ECB, or the guy on stilts fell over, or it was the (semi)nudity some younger women were using as a form of expression,

http://www.20min.ch/ausland/news/story/15719306#showid=48698&index=7
http://www.flickr.com/photos/torstenhemm/7228698622/in/set-72157629802406370
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liesegang/7221697742/in/set-72157629767606776/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liesegang/7221703622/in/set-72157629767606776/

or maybe they were appreciating the humor in signs that said "Die Spinnen" (the spiders) "Die Bullen" (the bulls) "Schweine" (pigs) - held side by side: "Die spinnen, die Bullenschweine" (Bullenschwein: offensive term referring to cops, the entire phrase says something like: these cop pigs are crazy):

http://www.fr-online.de/blockupy-frankfurt/blockupy-frankfurt-liveticker-demonstranten-verteilen-sich-in-der-taunusanlage,15402798,16071038.html
(image #4 in the clickable gallery)

"Mom, I'm ok, but the cops are going nuts!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7237850428/in/photostream


Anyway, this group of police officers was walking at the head of the demonstration, as is obvious from this photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238393836/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238395870/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238397838/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238399910/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238402004/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwehiksch/7238404084/in/photostream/

Usually, one or two police cars and a handful of officers are sufficient to "clear the way", since the route is closed off beforehand.

So, what do you need a hundred officers in riot gear for? Obviously, to intimidate anyone from within the demonstration who might be inclined to stray from the prescribed path. Their function is to control speed and direction of the march, while the rest of the 5000 police shipped in from all over Germany were "escorting" sideways, blocking side roads and the entire region where the banks are located.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strassenstriche/7229126816/in/set-72157629771341004/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strassenstriche/7229133090/in/set-72157629771341004/

They also prevented access for anyone who looked suspicious to the police (some 40 busses stopped on the autobahn and searched, people were held there for hours, some arrested, some were transported to a place outside of Frankfurt and told they were not to return within three days ...). (Source, in German: http://www.express.de/politik-wirtschaft/25-000-protestieren-in-frankfurt-aufstand-gegen-die-bankenmacht,2184,16073194.html)


Did the police, as the OP naively proclaims "come over to serve and protect the people"? Well, they "came over" from all parts of Germany, at the cost of the tax payer, mainly to protect the banks. To the dismay of the people concerned (see video below).

Which is not to say that I necessarily disagree with the OP when s/he says: "Nice to see their faces...."

Sure, if you take away the ridiculous gear, German police officers look just like any other German, and some of them may even suggest that they don't take issue with the demonstration as such (as long as it remains non-"violent", as they will hasten to add, of course). That has always been the case.

"You know, we all have our own personal opinions. Regarding the issues, this thing, as long as it remains peaceful, is a good thing."

says the leader of the group in the picture, Guido Mebold from Baden-Württemberg, in this report by the local TV station HR:

(3:20 minutes into the video)

Many more pictures and videos:

http://17to19m.blogsport.eu/2012/05/22/impressions-from-frankfurt/