Swiss police use water cannon, tear gas to break up anti-G7 protests

Water cannon and tear gas rolled through central Geneva as Swiss police broke up anti-G7 protests that had turned violent on the eve of the summit. Thousands of demonstrators marched under heavy security on Sunday, with clashes erupting after some in the crowd threw bottles, stones, pieces of cement and firecrackers at police.

The confrontation came as leaders of the Group of Seven were set to open a three-day summit in nearby Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17. Geneva had become the political pressure valve for activists determined to put the G7’s global influence, and its record on climate, equal rights and poverty, back at the center of the debate.

The anti-G7 coalition behind the march brought together more than 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups. Its organizers cast the summit as a gathering of wealthy nations whose policies deepen inequality and damage the climate, while trying to frame the demonstration as more than a street battle with police.

Instead, the security response dominated the scene. Swiss authorities deployed thousands of officers in Geneva ahead of the march, reflecting fears that the protest could follow the pattern of earlier summit unrest. AFP noted comparisons with a similar summit in 2003, and the size of the police deployment made clear that officials were preparing for trouble long before the first projectiles were thrown.

The most volatile moments came near the United Nations area in Geneva, where some demonstrators targeted buildings linked to the world body, including the UN telecommunication building. A Tesla vehicle was set on fire, and windows were smashed at a bank and a UN office or building, widening the damage beyond a simple march-gone-wrong.

What unfolded in Geneva showed how quickly the focus around the G7 can shift from policy to public order. The protesters were trying to force the summit to confront the fallout of wealthy nations’ economic and climate agenda; the police response, meanwhile, risked making security and disorder the first story of the summit before any leader had even arrived at the table.