Thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva on Sunday to demonstrate against the G7 summit taking place across the border in Evian, France. The demonstrators rallied against the summit as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power, describing it as a meeting of the rich.
Clashes erupted between the protesters and Swiss police, who fired tear gas in response to projectiles thrown at them. Demonstrators targeted United Nations buildings in Geneva, including a telecommunications building, using stones and flares. Additionally, protesters smashed the windows of a bank and set a car on fire, which required riot police to cordon off a secure zone for firefighters to work.
Authorities deployed a heavy police presence and approved the deployment of 2,000 to 5,000 military personnel to support the cantonal police. This security measure was taken as officials were anxious to avoid a repeat of the mayhem seen in 2003, when anti-G7 rioters caused millions of dollars worth of damage in the Swiss city.