Protesters Flood Geneva Ahead of G7 Summit, Clashes Erupt

(Central News Agency, Geneva, June 14 — International Wire Reports) Thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva, Switzerland today to oppose the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian, France. Demonstrators hurled stones and fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas and high-pressure water cannons.

French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome G7 leaders — from the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States — tomorrow in the lakeside resort town of Évian. Leaders from Brazil and India, among others, have also been invited this year.

Macron, serving as the rotating host leader this year, has already arrived in Évian.

This three-day G7 summit marks one of the first major international gatherings since the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran in late February, drastically altering the Middle East landscape and heightening transatlantic tensions.

Large crowds have poured into Geneva to express discontent ahead of tomorrow’s G7 summit. Violent confrontations between protesters and police have already erupted at multiple locations across Geneva tonight.

Authorities estimate around 20,000 people participated in the protests, most of whom remained peaceful. However, approximately 600 radical individuals identifying as the 'Black Bloc' also joined the demonstrations.

Protesters came from dozens of different groups. Some carried banners reading 'Reject the G7 and all imperialist alliances' and 'End the G7,' while a faction of radicals threw stones, bottles, and fireworks at police, who deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

The city of Geneva and the town of Évian both lie along Lake Geneva, but are located in Switzerland and France respectively, approximately 40 kilometers apart. Swiss authorities have remained on high alert for weeks amid the anticipated protests.

Most leaders will first land at Geneva International Airport before traveling onward to Évian.

The G7 agenda will focus on several highly sensitive issues, including strategies to end the Iran war. Although U.S. President Donald Trump claims an agreement has been reached with Iran, the situation remains unclear.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also attend the summit, bringing renewed attention to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. (Translation: Chi-Chin Ling) 1150615