Protesters block road to G7 summit site

Balloons, made by the "ONE" campaigning organisation, depicting leaders of the G7 countries are inflated in Garmisch-Partenkirchen June 7, 2015. Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations meet on Sunday in the Bavarian Alps for a summit overshadowed by Greece's debt crisis and ongoing violence in Ukraine. [Photo/Agencies]

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - Protesters sat down in the road leading to the luxury hotel where of Group of Seven (G7) leaders are due to meet on Sunday, forcing them to make the final stretch of their journey by helicopter, security officials said.

Police blocked the protesters in the road leading out of the German resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, preventing them from progressing any further towards Schloss Elmau, the hotel in the Bavarian Alps where the leaders will meet.

Bavarian police said on Twitter that 12 protesters sat down in the road. After the police talked to them, seven of the demonstrators left voluntarily, while five were dragged away.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will welcome the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union on Sunday for the meeting expected to focus on issues like climate change, the fight against pandemics, Middle East turmoil and an upsurge of violence in Ukraine.