GENEVA — Wooden panels now cover the windows and doors of countless shops and businesses in downtown Geneva, as owners brace for large-scale anti-G7 demonstrations planned for Sunday.
Both French and Swiss authorities have put sweeping security measures in place ahead of a G7 summit of leading industrialized nations that kicks off Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders are expected to attend, and officials fear the high-profile gathering could spark violent unrest.
The summit, scheduled for June 15 through 17, is being held in the French town of Evian-les-Bains along the shores of Lake Geneva. Discussions are expected to center on the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and global economic imbalances. A range of activist groups — including environmentalists, feminists, and opponents of capitalism — have called for a large rally Sunday.
On Saturday, roughly 20 boats sailed across Lake Geneva near Evian, flying anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian banners. According to Swiss media, about 20 protesters were taken into custody Friday evening. Earlier, between 100 and 150 people took part in a protest bicycle ride through Geneva, slowing traffic while chanting anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian slogans, according to public broadcaster RTS.
Much of the anxiety stems from memories of the G8 summit in 2003, when Geneva saw widespread property destruction as protests turned violent. Local resident Robin Hedz described the current scene as a “mess” and said he was puzzled by the “wood-wall everywhere,” though he acknowledged the city’s painful history with summit-related unrest.
The Swiss government announced that approximately 4,000 military personnel will be deployed to assist police throughout the summit. Security operations will include restrictions on airspace and roadways, as well as patrols on Lake Geneva. Of 35 border road crossings, only seven will remain open. The city is also shutting down a major park that activists had intended to use as a gathering spot.
Across the border in France, more than 13,000 police and gendarmerie officers will be on duty in the summit zone. French border control staffing is surging from roughly 60 officers under normal conditions to more than 800. French gendarmes were already visible Saturday, patrolling by motorboat off the Evian coastline, with one officer seen carrying a large drone-interception device.
Protests at high-profile international summits are not unusual, but this time demonstrators say they have a long list of grievances. Activists are voicing frustration over Trump’s positions on tariffs, the war in Iran, and climate change, and some want to draw attention to his past connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Francoise Nyffeler, a spokesperson for the NoG7 coalition organizing Sunday’s march, explained the motivation behind the protest. “We are very afraid of the policy and the politics of Mr. Trump and also of the other leaders of the G7, because they are fighting, making war all over the place,” she said.
“The planet is in danger and we are very scared about it and we want to protest and say that the people of the world are against their policies,” Nyffeler added.
