Protesters clash with German police over Stuttgart 21 rail project

1 October 2010: Police line up in the Schlossgarten park in front of the main train station in Stuttgart, south-western Germany, where forestry workers felled trees intended for the controversial Stuttgart 21 rail project Photograph: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images 1 October: Forestry workers saw the trunk of a felled tree intended for the Stuttgart 21 project, which aims to link the south-western city to one of Europe's longest high-speed lines – the 1,500km Magistrale, linking Paris, Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna and Budapest Photograph: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images 1 October: Protesters arrange candles in a peace sign while, in the background, workers start felling trees for Stuttgart 21. Part of the project will involve moving the city's main train station underground Photograph: Bernd Weissbrod/EPA 30 September: A child holds a toy water pistol as protesters demonstrating against Stuttgart 21 face riot police. Organisers said between 5,000 and 10,000 protesters turned out, while police said the number was 1,500-2,000 Photograph: Bernd Weissbrod/AFP/Getty Images 30 September: Police fire water cannon at demonstrators during protests against Stuttgart 21, leaving at least 116 people injured Photograph: Daniel Maurer/AP 30 September: Demonstrators try to protect themselves from police water cannon at the Stuttgart 21 protests Photograph: Daniel Maurer/AP 30 September: A police spokesman said that water cannon and pepper spray was used against demonstrators, but that some protesters threw stones at police Photograph: Daniel Maurer/AP 30 September: Police officers walk through smoke from a flare during the Stuttgart 21 protest Photograph: Michael Dalder/REUTERS September 30: German police try to remove protesters staging a sit-in against the Stuttgart 21 project Photograph: Uwe Anspach/EPA 30 September: Police clash with demonstrators protesting against Stuttgart 21. German chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind the project this week, saying that national credibility is on the line over the project's completiohn Photograph: Daniel Kopatsch/AP 30 September: A young woman sits in a tree showing a protest banner against Stuttgart 21 Photograph: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images