Geneva braces for storm: shops board up windows ahead of G7 summit in Évian — tens of thousands of protesters expected on Sunday
Protective panels on windows, a shortage of carpenters, and rising wood prices. Authorities have approved a large march, but unsanctioned rallies are unpredictable. In 2003, the G8 summit in Évian ended in violent clashes. Shops and cafes in Geneva are preparing for the worst.
As reported by CCTV+, businesses in Geneva are installing protective panels on their windows, preparing for possible riots during the G7 summit, which will take place from March 15 to 17 in the French town of Évian les Bains. Geneva is the main gateway to Évian. Many delegations will arrive in Geneva by plane and then drive to Évian. Large scale protests are expected in Geneva during the summit. Authorities have already approved a major march on Sunday afternoon, expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters. Other unsanctioned marches are unpredictable.
Against this backdrop, businesses in downtown Geneva, at railway stations and on major shopping streets have started putting up protective panels. Restaurant manager Isaac Kibul said: "Customers don't enjoy eating amid construction work, especially with all that wood dust. Our goal is to barricade the restaurant to prevent protesters from breaking in." The sudden surge in demand for protective measures has caused a shortage of carpenters and wooden panels in Geneva. Materials are now being rushed in from other Swiss cantons. As prices rise, many businesses, after weighing the pros and cons, have chosen not to install protective panels. Jean, owner of a snack bar, said: "These measures are expensive and useless. If they decide to break in, they will. They won't avoid my shop just because I spent a fortune boarding it up."
In 2003, Évian les Bains hosted the G8 summit, when thousands of protesters held rallies and marches in Geneva and Lausanne. The peaceful demonstrations eventually escalated into serious riots, with some protesters clashing fiercely with local police.
The G7 summit is an annual meeting of leaders from the world's seven largest economies (US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan). Évian les Bains is a small French town on Lake Geneva, 45 km from Geneva. In 2003, it hosted the G8 summit (which included Russia). The anti globalization protests at that time turned into riots. Geneva, as an international hub and transport gateway, traditionally becomes a gathering point for activists. Fear of a repeat of the events of 22 years ago is driving businesses to board up their windows — even at high cost.
History has a way of repeating itself — first as tragedy, then as farce, and sometimes as a sheet of plywood. Geneva's restaurateurs no longer rely on the rationality of the crowd. They remember 2003: smashed glass, burnt cars, futile pleas. So today, they pick up hammers. But the paradox is that the more panels go up, the higher the tension. The city turns into a fortress, and a fortress invites a siege. Police prepare, businesses hunker down, and tens of thousands of people take to the streets with signs. Peaceful slogans can turn into stones. And then the only defense will be plywood — which costs a fortune but does not stop hatred.
