Why 20,000 Protesters Turned Geneva Into a Battleground Before the G7 Summit

Geneva, Monday, 15 June 2026.
Geneva erupted in chaos as 20,000 demonstrators clashed with police ahead of the G7 summit in France, marking one of Switzerland’s largest protests in years. Protesters set cars ablaze, vandalized UN offices, and hurled projectiles, forcing authorities to deploy tear gas and water cannons. The unrest reflects deepening public anger over global inequality, war, and climate inaction—issues set to dominate the summit’s agenda. With leaders like Donald Trump attending, the violence raises critical questions: Can diplomacy survive growing anti-establishment fury?