▲ 'Anti-G7' protests are taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.
On June 14 (local time), one day before the opening of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in the French resort town of Évian-les-Bains, violent protests involving tear gas and water cannons erupted in nearby Geneva, Switzerland.
Reuters, AFP, and other news agencies reported that clashes broke out between police and a crowd of 20,000 protesters who had gathered in downtown Geneva, where the United Nations headquarters is located, to voice their opposition to the G7.
The protesters, who initially marched peacefully while carrying signs and chanting slogans, expressed their resentment toward capitalism and the dominance of major powers.
Participants criticized the G7 as a symbol of political and economic power concentrated in the hands of a few, with a particular focus on the deepening inequality of wealth.
As the protest turned violent, with demonstrators throwing bricks and water bottles at police, setting a parked Tesla on fire, and smashing windows at the UN building, police responded with water cannons and tear gas, plunging the streets of Geneva into chaos.
Geneva is located across Lake Geneva from Évian-les-Bains.
Given the history of violent protests during the 2003 G8 summit, which included Russia, local authorities had deployed a large police force in preparation.
Wealth polarization has become increasingly prominent worldwide recently, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has also served as an advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, becoming the world's first trillionaire.
One protester told AFP, "The G7 is just a club for the rich," adding cynically, "This meeting is just another display of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer."
The protest also featured various other voices, including opposition to capitalism, expressions of solidarity with Palestinians facing killings in Israel, and calls for action on climate change.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.