Geneva Protest Draws Up to 20,000 Ahead of G7 Summit

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Geneva on Sunday, June 14, for a large-scale protest against the Group of Seven nations ahead of their annual summit beginning the next day in the nearby French resort town of Evian-les-Bains. The largely peaceful march, organized by a coalition of more than 60 associations, unions, and activist groups, escalated into isolated clashes, with police deploying tear gas and a Tesla vehicle set ablaze.

Police initially estimated the crowd at 7,000, though journalists and a later police statement suggested the number grew to between 15,000 and 20,000 as the procession moved through the city center. Under a heavy security presence, protesters marched from a lakeside park, chanting slogans and carrying banners critical of the G7's policies on climate change, economic inequality, gender rights, and global conflicts, including support for Palestinian rights.

The demonstration saw several disruptive incidents. Protesters threw projectiles, including stones and flares, at a United Nations telecommunications building, prompting police to respond with tear gas. Separately, the windows of a bank were smashed, and a Tesla car was set on fire near the march...