The streets of Hamburg were tinted in gray when thousands of people appeared in the streets of Hamburg on Wednesday. The people covered in clay creepily moved down the streets in an eerie silence, and as CNN reported, it reminiscent of the popular TV series "The Walking Dead"'. The show ceased when each of the people gathered, peeled off their zombie facades to reveal beautiful clothes beneath as they reached the central square.
The reason behind the performance piece
The two-hour long show, conducted by the 1000 Gestalten aims for more self-responsibility and humanity, ahead of the G20 Summit.
The show was meant to emphasize the idea that change can come from individuals.
According to the CNN, the 1000 Gestalten spokesman expressed that they cannot wait until the change takes place from the most powerful end of the spectrum and that they need to show political and social responsibility. “All of us. Now."
The campaign was an epitome of the fact that it's not our bank balance that saves us in the end, but people lending us helping hands and promoting the spirit of brotherhood.
The protest was named the “Welcome to Hell” performance. It's believed that the act was planned at least a week prior to the G20 summit. Zombies caked in clay and dust were spotted around the city a week ahead of the G20 summit.
The numbers started to increase as the summit drew closer. The protest was meant to prepare a powerful statement, as the world leaders including Donald Trump, gathered in the city.
The G20 summit
The G20 summit focuses on issues of global significance. World leaders attending the G20 summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S.
President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
As reported by Global News, a 1000 Gestalten member, Sven Kammerer, stated that no changes can begin from a political elite.“It starts with you and me."
The reason behind the protest gaining widespread support and popularity was because many people shared the same vision: They wished to be the change that they wanted to see in the world.
Furthermore, more protests are expected to break out in Hamburg. Hamburg has plans on assigning 20,000 officers to deal with an expected 8000 protesters. It's all happening in Hamburg where the world leaders will come face to face with each other, and not all of them are friends. Some of them have had conflict over a number of issues.
