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Clashes erupt between G7 protesters and police in Geneva

AFP
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Clashes erupt between G7 protesters and police in Geneva

A demonstrator stands next to a fuming tear gas pellet during a rally of a "No-G7" coalition of over 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups "against fascism and imperialism,” a day ahead of the summit's start, in Geneva on June 14, 2026. (AFP)

GENEVA: Clashes broke out Sunday between protesters and police in Geneva, including near the United Nations headquarters, a day before the G7 summit opens in nearby Evian in France, AFP journalists saw.


Small groups of protesters, many dressed in black and wearing masks, threw bottles, stones, pieces of cement and firecrackers at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.


Several buildings were targeted, including the offices of the UN's International Telecommunications Union and a nearby premises of multinational accounting and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.


Protesters were not able to get close to the UN's European headquarters, located across the square, which had been heavily secured with large water cannon trucks parked in front.


AFP journalists inside the building heard explosions, numerous police sirens and the continuous drone of helicopters circling overhead.


The protesters later marched back to the demonstration's starting point, in a park on the shores of Lake Geneva, where clashes with police continued.


The protest against the Group of Seven leaders, who kick off their three-day annual gathering on Monday, had started out peacefully at around 3:30 pm (1330 GMT), with demonstrators Waving banners bearing messages such as: "No to the G7 and all imperialist alliances!" and "Abort the G7."


Geneva authorities had deployed a significant police presence, wary of a repeat of the violence seen in the city when a similar summit was held in Evian in 2003.


Chanting slogans with a range of messages, supporting Palestinians, climate action, feminism and anti-capitalist activism, the protesters made their way through a barricaded city, as helicopters hovered above.


But shortly after the march began, groups of black-clad protesters in masks began breaking through barriers protecting some of the up-scale apartment buildings along the route, and set cars alight.


AFP journalists also saw a Tesla car set alight, tagged with the words: "Eat the Rich."


Clashes with police followed, amid chants of "Down with the police state" and other anti-police slogans.


At around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT), police estimated the number of demonstrators at 20,000, including around 600 so-called "Black Bloc" radical protesters.