Tesla set on fire, bank windows smashed in Geneva as protesters gather to protest G7 summit in France | Today’s news
A Tesla car was set ablaze and the windows of a bank in Geneva were smashed by protesters on Sunday (local time) as they vented their anger over a Group of Seven (G7) summit scheduled to be held in France and attended by the group’s leaders, including US President Donald Trump.
The otherwise peaceful march was attended by over 7,000 people, according to the police, who said they confiscated some knives and pyrotechnic devices.
Protest against the G7 summit
Protesters said they had gathered to oppose the G7, seeing it as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and a former adviser to the US president, became the world’s first billionaire last week, reigniting the debate about widening wealth inequality.
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The protester said: “For me, this is a meeting of the rich that shows again how the rich can get even richer while the poor are left behind.”
Environmental activists, feminists, Palestinian rights advocates, independent media advocates and other groups joined the protest. It happened in a lakeside park in Geneva before a march through the city. A ship passed by with a sail bearing the message “No G7”.
Police used tear gas in response to projectiles thrown at them by protesters, and firefighters arrived at the scene of a burning car just minutes from the march route as riot police closed off a safe zone for them to work.
Demonstrators have been gathering for days ahead of Sunday’s march in Geneva, the region’s largest city and a designated rallying point for activists opposed to the G7.
Road blocked, police presence to increase
Meanwhile, Swiss and French authorities have deployed thousands of police officers to provide security for the three-day summit, which begins on Monday in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains. The leaders are set to discuss issues such as the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic imbalances.
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In addition, authorities have also blocked roads, banned unauthorized gatherings and pledged financial support to businesses that could be affected by the unrest. Dozens of businesses and shops have boarded up their storefronts with wooden panels as a precaution, wary of the riots that left traces of damage in Geneva during a similar summit in Evian in 2003. Only seven of the 35 road border crossings will remain open.
Trump is at the center of the protests
According to the AP news agency, protests around such important gatherings are nothing new. But this time, climate activists want to express frustration with Trump’s leadership on wide-ranging issues, from tariffs to the Iran war, his stance on the climate and his past dealings with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The G7 summit comes as the United States and Iran appear close to an agreement to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are very afraid of Mr. Trump’s policies and politics, as well as the other G7 leaders, because they are fighting and warring everywhere,” said Francoise Nyffeler, spokeswoman for the NoG7 coalition, which organized the demonstration and march on Sunday.
“The planet is in danger and we are very afraid of that and we want to protest and say that the people of the world are against their policies,” she added.
According to another demonstrator: “The values represented by the G7 are completely misogynistic and contribute to inequality because there is absolutely no equality.”
