G7 Protesters Smash Windows, Set Tesla On Fire In Geneva

Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times,

Protesters smashed windows at a United Nations agency and set fire to a Tesla vehicle on June 14 during a protest march in Geneva, Switzerland, against the holding of the G7 summit, just across the border in the French town of Evian-les-Bains.

Around 20,000 people took part in the march that was largely peaceful, according to police, who also said they confiscated a number of knives and pyrotechnic devices.

U.S. President Donald Trump is among the leaders attending the June 15-17 summit, which is being protected by a high-security cordon following an agreement between the French and Swiss governments.

The June 14 march was organized by the so-called NoG7 coalition, which has posted a list of “internationalist demands” on its blog, which include ending trade relations with Israel, dismantling U.S. military bases in Europe, and dissolving the G7 organization.

Several of the demonstrators said the G7 was a symbol of the world’s wealthiest countries.

“To me, it’s a meeting of the rich that shows once again how the rich can become even richer while the poor are left behind,” Pippa Saugy, one of the protesters, said.

The Swiss government has deployed 4,000 soldiers to support the police, while France has sent more than 13,000 police and gendarmerie officers to secure the summit.

One of the protesters, Mattia Piccard, said he resented the large police presence on June 14.

“This is an attempt to frighten demonstrators, to frighten people and discourage them from coming out to protest,” Piccard said.

Geneva resident Susanne Haldemann said she felt sad for the owner of the burned Tesla, who had probably worked hard to pay for it.

She said it was unfair that he should pay for “this anger and that frustration” of people, especially the younger generation.

Yann Smid, who works in Geneva, said people in the city had been braced for protests.

“People know that if Geneva plays a very important role, there would be protests, and it happened in the past,” Smid said. “I think they are used to it, and obviously it’s just a question of disruption.”

The French and Swiss authorities have imposed restrictions on border crossings, and, apart from the June 14 march, which was authorized, there is a ban on public gatherings in Geneva.

Trump will join the leaders of France, Germany, Japan, the UK, Canada, Italy, and the European Union at the summit.

The agenda is expected to include global trade, immigration, geopolitical conflicts, and other key issues, although the official G7 website states that the program still has not been finalized.

The French Foreign Ministry says more than 110,000 people commute across the border every day to work in Geneva, and last week it said the number of French border control officers was being increased from 60 on a normal day to 800.

Airspace Restrictions, Road Closures

There will be airspace restrictions, patrols on Lake Geneva, and road closures. Only seven of the 35 highway border crossings will be open.

In 2003, when the G8 summit was held in Geneva, dozens of storefronts were vandalized by anti-globalization protesters.

Storefronts in Geneva, just over the border in Switzerland, were boarded up last week, and the World Trade Organization, which was targeted in Seattle in 1999, closed its offices and told staff to work from home until the summit is over.

France and Switzerland have agreed to a military cooperation agreement in the run-up to the summit, and G7 leaders will arrive at Geneva’s international airport – which is in Switzerland but almost surrounded by French territory – before crossing the border to Evian-les-Bains under heavy security.

Residents of Evian-les-Bains, known for its bottled water, have been given special access permits, and the zone around the Hotel Royal, where the summit will take place, will be cordoned off.