Geneva G7 Protest Turns Violent as Demonstrators Torch Tesla and Smash UN Windows
About 20,000 people marched in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday against the G7 summit, which opens on June 15 and runs through June 17 in Evian-les-Bains, France, across Lake Geneva. The protest began peacefully, but later escalated into clashes with police, according to Reuters and CNN.
During the unrest, demonstrators set fire to a Tesla vehicle and broke windows at a building belonging to one of the United Nations agencies. Police said the targets were treated by protesters as symbols of capitalism, multinational power, and concentrated political and economic influence. Geneva police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd, while Reuters witnesses said protesters tore stones and bricks from the ground and threw them at security forces. CNN said some demonstrators also fired signal flares, and the clashes continued even after police ordered people to leave.
Police said about 600 Black Bloc activists were among the participants. The march also included environmental activists, women’s rights groups, and pro-Palestinian supporters. Some protesters carried signs denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump. In anticipation of violence, many businesses were boarded up with wooden panels, and hundreds of riot police and crowd-control officers were deployed across the city.
Protesters said their message was aimed at the G7 countries as a bloc representing concentrated political and economic power. One demonstrator, Pippa Suzy, told Reuters, “In my view, this is a meeting of the rich, once again showing how the rich can become even richer while the poor are left behind.” Another protester, Matia Piccard, criticized the police build-up as an attempt to intimidate people and discourage them from demonstrating. Kallia Cullen said she joined to highlight gender inequality, calling G7 values “completely misogynistic” and saying they contribute to inequality. The summit will bring together the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus European Union representatives. Reuters said the wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine are expected to dominate the talks, while leaders will try to avoid a confrontation with Trump as he seeks a framework deal with Iran.
