Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at stone-throwing protesters in Geneva on Sunday, while an estimated 20,000 people marched against the G7 summit. The demonstrations aimed to highlight issues such as the environment, human rights, imperialism, fascism and capitalism, but the ensuing violence swept through Geneva’s city center and caused harm to local residents.A car was set on fire, the windows of a bank were smashed, and hundreds of masked youths in black jackets, known as “Black Bloc” gunmen, mingled with the peaceful demonstrators, Geneva police spokesman Alexandre Brahir told the AP. The number of militants was estimated at about 600.The violence began early in the march. Firefighters rushed to extinguish the burning Tesla car next to the central bus station. Nearby, demonstrators tore down the wooden barriers protecting Lehman Bank and smashed its windows.
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Some demonstrators fired flares at the officers. Others tore pieces of asphalt from the road and threw them at riot police. The clashes continued even after the authorities ordered the crowd to disperse.Despite the violence, the vast majority of the 20,000 protesters were peaceful. Women’s rights advocates led the procession, many wearing purple T-shirts and carrying signs denouncing “patriarchy” and demanding equal pay.
Others carried signs supporting the Palestinians in Gaza or criticizing Trump, often with obscene expressions.
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Organizers spent weeks negotiating with local authorities before the march. They even printed a booklet for protesters, complete with a map of the security perimeter, tips on what to wear, and advice on what to do in the event of arrest.The G7 summit begins Monday in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains, across Lake Geneva from the Swiss city.
The French authorities deployed more than 13,000 policemen and gendarmes to secure the three-day meeting. More than 800 French officers will work to monitor the border.In Geneva, businesses boarded up their windows, fearing a similar scale of devastation that occurred when a similar summit was held in 2003. Only seven of the 35 border crossings between Switzerland and France remain open.
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Françoise Niffler, a spokeswoman for the No. 7 Coalition that organized the demonstration, told the AP that the group fears Trump’s policies on tariffs, the Iran war, climate, and even his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.A flotilla of about 20 boats appeared on Lake Geneva on Saturday, carrying anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian banners. Swiss media reported that about 20 demonstrators were arrested on Friday evening.The Group of Seven includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The leaders of India, Kenya and Ukraine are also expected to join discussions on the wars in Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East, as well as global inequality and access to vital minerals. Trump’s announcement of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran before his departure from Washington could reshape the dynamics of the summit.
