Protests against the G7 summit, which began in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Monday, quickly turned violent shortly after starting on Sunday. Incidents included the setting of a car on fire at the edge of the demonstration route. Despite the presence of wooden barricades, demonstrators were already causing damage to businesses. Numerous masked individuals, equipped with protective goggles and gas masks, were among those participating in the protests.
Initially, demonstrators gathered at the “Parc de la Perle du Lac” on Lake Geneva before moving toward the city center. The designated demonstration route was extensively secured with fences. Due to the potential for unrest, similar to the G8 summit held in Évian in 2003, the police in Geneva deployed a large contingent of forces on Sunday and will maintain a strong presence over the coming days.
Although France is hosting the G7 summit, the 10,000-resident town of Évian has been divided into several restricted zones and is widely cordoned off, with residents provided special access passes. Consequently, the protests migrated to Switzerland, mirroring the situation in 2003. Anti-G7 events took place on Sunday not only in Geneva and Lausanne, but also in cities such as Zurich, Saint Gallen, Bern, Lucerne, Zug, Basel, Biel, and Aarau.
