Blocked tunnels, blue light escorts, rattling helicopters: the effects of the G-7 meeting can be experienced in many places in the city. In one street, however, they are particularly beneficial.
The new neighbors arrived at the end of last week and, admittedly, they were initially viewed with skepticism. So many. And all in uniform, all in black. The looks serious, the expression determined. Something like that is intimidating. And then this car parade! Wagons to wagons, all the same, the location code NRW on the number plates, followed by ascending sequences of numbers. All together pretty much exactly the opposite of the colourful, relaxed and, despite all the trend towards gentrification, still a bit disorderly style that is welcomed and actively cultivated in the French Quarter.
Blocked tunnels, blue light escorts, rattling helicopters: the foothills of the G-7 summit in Elmau, which is not too far away, can be felt in many places in Munich. But it doesn’t happen that often that the entire parking lot of an entire street is closed to personnel carriers, left and right, around the clock. But there is in Haidhausen. Spicherenstraße is not particularly long. She’s not particularly prominent. But she’s been firmly in the hands of the police for a few days. Very tight.
The state of emergency had been announced by no-stopping signs. From June 23rd to 30th things will get serious, they had promised. But how seriously that was meant only became apparent when the officers from North Rhine-Westphalia approached in their squad cars and parked them close together. Suddenly a blue and white wall towered up to the tops of the trees. The first reactions were mixed. “Well, you can sleep peacefully now,” observed observers from some residents. But some of them rated the scenery as highly dangerous: eight similar police vehicles had been set on fire on Hochstrasse, presumably by opponents of the summit.
Parked: Only police vehicles may be parked on Spicherenstrasse in Haidhausen during the G-7 meeting.
(Photo: René Hofmann)
Empty: When the police are on duty during the day, but the parking ban still applies, the street is wonderfully empty.
(Photo: René Hofmann)
In the meantime, the togetherness has leveled off. Saturday played a key role. There were flea markets in the district and the jostling phase came just at the time when the NRW squadron set off on its mission. The determined women and men had to make their way through the cheerful shimmering in full gear. It was an exciting contrast. One that brought the worlds closer together.
But what really helped with the reconciliation: that the guests are away so often. In the morning they buzz out in their many cars and often only come back when the sun has already set. And in the many hours in between, the whole street is what it never is: cleared of parked cars, left and right, front to back. It’s just gorgeous.