Geneva tightens security and boards up storefronts ahead of anti-G7 protests before Evian summit
The Facts
- Geneva boarded up many shops and other storefronts ahead of planned anti-G7 protests and the summit in nearby Evian-les-Bains.
- Thousands of protesters were expected to rally in Geneva on Sunday, the day before the G7 summit begins.
- The protests were being organized by the No-G7 coalition, described as a grouping of more than 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups.
- French and Swiss authorities put extensive security measures in place, with thousands of police, soldiers and other security personnel deployed around Geneva, the airport and border crossings.
- The G7 summit is scheduled for June 15-17 in Evian-les-Bains, France, and leaders and delegations are expected to transit through Geneva.
- Authorities' preparations were shaped in part by memories of violence, looting and millions in damage during protests around the 2003 G8 summit in the Geneva-Lausanne area.
- The summit matters beyond local security because G7 leaders are expected to discuss major international issues including the Middle East conflict, Ukraine and global economic imbalances.
- Before the protests began, a key unresolved issue was whether the demonstrations would remain peaceful or lead to the kind of disorder authorities were trying to prevent.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- The risk of serious disruption is real enough that boarded storefronts and a massive security deployment are being treated as justified responses to a protest weekend with high stakes for both local businesses and an international summit.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about authorities risking the treatment of mass dissent as a security threat before protests begin, or about authorities taking necessary precautions to prevent a repeat of past violence around a high-stakes summit.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
Why is Geneva central to a G7 summit being held in France?
Although the summit itself is in Evian-les-Bains, France, multiple reports say leaders and delegations are expected to arrive via Geneva, where airport, border and city security measures were concentrated SWI swissinfo.ch,Le Parisien,watson.ch/.
Who is behind the anti-G7 protests?
The demonstrations were called by the No-G7 coalition, which sources describe as a network of more than 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups. Reports say the coalition planned to protest G7 policies and denounce what it called fascism and imperialism Japan Herald,Straits Times,France 24.
Why were businesses and authorities taking such extensive precautions?
Several reports link the precautions to fears of a repeat of the unrest seen during the 2003 G8 summit in the region, when protests in Geneva and nearby areas led to clashes, looting and major property damage Straits Times,tagesschau.de,RTBF,DH.be.
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thesun.myGeneva protests loom ahead of G7 summit in Evian
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Medias24 - Site d'informationLes "No-G7" à l'assaut de Genève avant le sommet d'Evian
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