Protests set to grip Geneva ahead of G-7 summit

GENEVA – Thousands of protesters were expected to rally in Geneva on June 14 under heavy police presence ahead of the G-7 summit in Evian, amid fears of a repeat of the violence that marked a similar summit in 2003.

The “No-G7” coalition of more than 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups aims to denounce “fascism and imperialism”. The demonstration takes place the day before Group of Seven leaders start their three-day annual gathering.

The G-7 summit will be one of the first major international gatherings since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, upending the Middle East and widening transatlantic tensions.

The G-7 brings together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, along with invited leaders from several other countries, including Brazil and India.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting the event, is due to arrive in Evian on the evening of June 14, followed by other leaders on June 15, including US President Donald Trump.

The group will have a packed agenda of potentially explosive issues, including efforts to end the war in Iran and remove the key Strait of Hormuz shipping bottleneck, with Trump insisting that a deal could be signed on June 14.

Geneva on edge

Most of the leaders will be arriving at Geneva Airport, before making the journey to Evian.

Geneva – about 40km south-west of the French spa town of Evian – is on edge.

The authorities there are anxious to avoid any repeat of the mayhem of 2003, when anti-G-7 rioters caused millions of dollars worth of damage in the Swiss city.

The violence, looting and clashes live long in the memory and shops, supermarkets, theatres and university buildings, some of them far from the protest route, are taking no chances and have boarded up their facades.

Several other events in the city have been scrapped, and the main hospital has set up tents in case there is an influx of casualties.

The Swiss authorities have permitted a march around a lengthy loop on the north side of the city – well away from the city centre and its luxury boutiques.

They are deploying significant police and security forces.

Due to conditions imposed by the French authorities, the No-G7 coalition abandoned plans for a counter-summit and demonstration on June 14 in the French border town of Annemasse.

“What we fundamentally regret is that France did not create the conditions conducive to a kind of summit, counter-summit, village, forum or discussion” on its side of the border, Geneva’s Security Minister Carole-Anne Kast told reporters during the week.

Tighter security

“We hope to have a wonderful weekend with some lovely moments,” coalition spokesperson Alice Lefrancois told reporters.

“There will be security personnel, particularly to protect demonstrators from any form of external aggression, and there will also be a family area. We think it’s going to be a rather pleasant experience,” she added.

Geneva is almost entirely surrounded by France: nowhere in the Geneva canton is more than 5.5km from the French border.

Bracing themselves for the protest and the summit, the Swiss authorities have closed 25 of the 35 road border crossings, causing traffic jams in both directions.

Nearly 16,000 French police officers, gendarmes, troops, firefighters and border guards will be deployed, using boats, motorcycles and drones, alongside mounted police and dog-handling units, France’s Haute-Savoie regional prefecture said.

Switzerland has approved the deployment of 2,000 to 5,000 military personnel to “support” the cantonal police. Around 4,000 Swiss troops will be on duty on land, on Lake Geneva and in the air, coordinating with the French military. AFP