Going Potty: Banned Flower Pots and Other Oddities Ahead of G7 Summit

The usually serene area in German Bavaria has been turned into a heavily policed albeit luxurious supermax prison for the occasion. And security is not the only thing Germany managed to max out.

At G7 Summit anything is possible… even illegal construction to please eminent guests

The rich and the affluent, we are sometimes reminded, live in a world where anything is possible, even things explicitly forbidden by law. The G7 Summit turned out to be a prime example. Take the Elmauer Alm restaurant chosen as a perfect spot to take a photo of the world leaders.

It seems like the leaders will have to find another place with a view for their family photo.

But wait, there's more. The hotel's owner, Dietmar Müller-Elmau, also turned a meadow into a helicopter landing pad and set up a huge tent there, failing to get the necessary permit from the Garmisch-Patenkirchen authorities for the tent. The pad will reportedly be dismantled after the summit comes to an end.

US soldiers are banned from G7 area… to protect them from unarmed activists

US servicemen are forbidden from travelling to the Bavarian cities of Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen over fears that unarmed anti-G7 activists might attack them. Those stationed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, high on Americans' list of top tourist destinations in Germany, are advised not to wear their uniforms and "avoid speaking English loudly," according to Local.

According to some estimates, approximately 10,000 activists plan to hold rallies near Elmau protesting against G7 policies, among which racism, militarization and war, as well as the exploitation of nature are often named.

Nothing is too expensive for the 48-hour vanity fair… even coffee table books for $335,000

Horst Seehofer, the head of Bavaria's government, wants participants of the G7 summit to leave with something more than sweet memories and, hopefully, a sense of achievement. To this end he will distribute a coffee table book titled "Bavaria. Land in the Heart of Europe" on the German land hosting the high-profile event.

Bavaria has a lot to offer – its famous cuisine, top football club, not to mention its world-famous cars. So the book, evidently, wanted to reflect this splendor on 248 pages and in its cost. Local authorities printed 15,000 copies for a hefty price of $335,000.

Holding G7 without Russia does not make sense

German Chancellor Angela Merkel advertised the upcoming summit as a venue to discuss Crimea's unification with Russia the West insists was illegal despite the fact that nearly 100 percent of the peninsula's population wanted this to happen.

The G7 comprises leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, a potent group no doubt. But discussing global challenges, let alone tackling them is impossible without Russia, whatever the West thinks or says.

No weapons in the G7 area allowed… including woodpiles and flower pots!

Germans take security precautions seriously. Local authorities asked residents to remove anything that could be used as a projectile by anti-G7 protesters, including in some instances a pile of wood and flowerpots, according to Deutsche Welle.

Germany spent some $225 million on security measures, which include constructing a 10-mile-long fence around the hotel to keep the protesters away.

Some 19,000 police officers will be deployed to the area to secure the G7 venue, local cities and the border. The Bavarian police even tweeted several photos of law enforcement officers on the lookout.

Next time it would probably be wise to choose a more secluded place in line with the philosophy of austerity, which Germany loves so much.