The three-day G7 summit begins today in the French resort town of Évian-les-Bains. It will focus on the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, addressing global economic inequality, and access to natural resources.
Most of the G7 leaders will fly into Geneva Airport and then travel to Evian, located 26 kilometers away.
In the early hours, yesterday’s protest in Geneva was peaceful, Euronews reports. After 5 p.m., demonstrators clashed with law enforcement. As a result, toward evening, city authorities broke up the demonstration, and police ordered participants to disperse.
Ahead of the rally, Geneva authorities closed roads, banned unauthorized gatherings, and promised financial support to businesses that might suffer as a result of the unrest.
Swiss and French authorities say they have deployed thousands of police officers to secure the three-day summit. France has stationed more than 13,000 police officers and gendarmes in the area where the meeting is taking place. More than 800 French border guards will be on duty at the border, compared to 60 during normal times.
