Geneva police deployed teargas on Sunday as protesters set fire to a Tesla vehicle and smashed windows at a United Nations agency during their demonstration against a Group of Seven summit in France.
Approximately 20,000 people participated in an initially peaceful march. However, demonstrators later targeted symbols they viewed as representative of capitalism and multilateralism, including the parked Tesla and UN office.
Demonstrators tore bricks from the ground to throw at police, while children cried as teargas wafted over downtown Geneva’s sun-baked streets, according to Reuters witnesses.
Protests have frequently occurred at G7 gatherings in recent years, with many demonstrators denouncing capitalism, globalization, climate change, and inequality. Protesters argued that they were protesting the G7 as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power.
Last week, Tesla owner Elon Musk, who has worked as an adviser to US President Donald Trump, became the world’s first trillionaire.
“To me, it’s a meeting of the rich that shows once again how the rich can become even richer while the poor are left behind,” said protester Pippa Saugy.
The June 15–17 G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva, will bring together the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, alongside the European Union. Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are set to dominate the agenda, while leaders aim to avoid a clash with Trump as he seeks to finalize a framework peace deal with Iran.
In Geneva, businesses were boarded up, and hundreds of riot police were deployed amid prior concerns about violence. Mattia Piccard criticized the strong police presence, stating it was an attempt to frighten demonstrators and discourage them from coming out to protest. Clélia Colin, another demonstrator, wanted to raise the issue of gender inequality, arguing that the values represented by the G7 are completely misogynistic and contribute to inequality.