Geneva: A large protest march against capitalism, in support of the Palestinians, and in favor of numerous other causes has begun in the Swiss border city of Geneva, with police expecting up to 50,000 participants. Sunday's protest was organized by a No G7 coalition of several dozen groups ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in the French town of ‰vian located on the other side of Lake Geneva, which kicks off on Monday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the demonstration is taking place in Geneva because France declined to issue permits for any protests near the G7 summit venue, the Geneva city government said, criticizing the decision. Geneva lies around 50 kilometers southwest of ‰vian. Geneva airport will also serve as the arrival point for the leaders attending the summit and their delegations on Monday, as it is the nearest airport to the venue. Geneva's city center has been in a state of emergency for days: Hundreds of luxury shops and banks, as well as hotels and supermarkets, have boarded up their facades and shop windows with plywood panels out of fear of unrest.
At a summit in ‰vian in 2003, rioters smashed windows, looted shops, and caused millions in damage in Geneva. That protest was also directed against a summit in ‰vian, at the time a G8 meeting that still included Russia. A coalition of around 60 groups called for Sunday's protest against the G7. Geneva police have this time mobilized reinforcements from across the country. Several thousand officers have been checking vehicles and the identity papers of passers-by throughout the city for two days.
In bright sunshine, several thousand people gathered at a meeting point in a park on the shores of Lake Geneva, carrying placards, according to initial estimates. Many participants carried Palestinian flags. The different groups include feminists, trade union representatives, Kurds, and a 'revolutionary bloc,' a spokeswoman said ahead of the event.