Thousands of protesters march in Geneva against the G7 ahead of the summit in France
Thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday to protest against G7 leaders, on the eve of the summit opening in a nearby city in France. This three-day summit, which opens this Monday in the spa resort of Evian-les-Bains, France, should allow leaders to address in particular the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic imbalances. Clashes broke out Sunday between protesters and police near the UN headquarters in Geneva, protesters throwing bottles, stones, pieces of cement and firecrackers at law enforcement, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.
According to the spokesman of the Geneva police, Alexandre Brahier, some 20.000 people, including about 600 activists called “Black Bloc”, participated in the demonstration. Authorities said environmental slogans and feminists were on the protesters’ signs, alongside criticism from imperialism, defending independent media, supporters of Palestinian rights and other groups. The crowd gathered in a park on the lake in Geneva before strolling through the city.
According to information gathered on the spot and photographs transmitted by observers, individuals identified as separatists of the Polisario Front or sympathizers of this movement were seen in the immediate vicinity of the zones of tension. Some wore fabrics and rose flags in the colors of the so-called “Democratic Saharawi Arab Republic” (DSAR), a symbol regularly used by militants supporting Saharawi separatist demands. The photographs show in particular the presence of these individuals on the outskirts of a burning barricade erected by hooded protesters. The latter were among the most radical groups that had infiltrated the mobilization initially authorized by the Geneva authorities.
Swiss police had to use tear gas to disperse troublemakers after several hours of tense face-to-face in different areas of the city. The presence of about 600 radical activists, according to the authorities’ estimates, quickly turned some areas of the procession into scenes of urban guerrilla warfare. Vehicles were burned, public and private buildings targeted and several establishments suffered damage. In this context, the remarkable presence of activists displaying the colors of the DSAR raises questions about the involvement of separatist networks in international demonstrations with a strong political burden. As the G7 summit takes place from June 15 to 17 in Evian under very high security, these incidents recall the tensions that regularly surround major international meetings and the ability of radical groups to exploit authorized demonstrations to impose their political agenda.
Swiss and French authorities claim to have deployed thousands of police officers to ensure the safety of the three-day summit. In France, they announce the mobilization of more than 13.000 police and gendarmes to secure the area of the summit, just across the border. More than 800 French border control agents will be deployed, compared to about 60 usually. In addition to strengthening law enforcement, authorities have also closed roads, banned unauthorized rallies and pledged financial support to companies that could be affected by tensions. Dozens of shops and shops in the French resort have had wood panels laid on their storefronts as a precaution.
