Published on 6/14/2026
The streets of the Swiss city of Geneva turned into a protest arena on the eve of the start of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, as the city witnessed a massive march to denounce Western policies and support the Palestinian cause, amid an atmosphere of political tension and security fears that prompted local authorities to declare a state of maximum alert.
This movement was organized by the “No G7” coalition, a broad coalition that includes between 40 and 60 organizations, activist groups, and leftist and anti-globalization unions, which gathered to denounce the summit scheduled in the French border city of Evian in the period between June 15 and 17.
Middle East events
The G7 summit in Evian is gaining exceptional political sensitivity at the present time, as it is the first high-level international gathering since the outbreak of the war launched by the United States and its ally Israel against Iran in late February, a war that has turned the balance of the Middle East and intensified tensions across both sides of the Atlantic.
The leaders of the seven countries (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States) face an agenda laden with incendiary issues, most notably adopting diplomatic efforts to end the war and reopening a strategic strait that represents a bottleneck for global maritime shipping.
(Reuters)
“Stop Netanyahu” and anti-slogans
Although the organizers focused their written literature on combating globalization and capitalist policies, the live scenes clearly showed that the Middle East file dominated the chants. The demonstrators marched carrying a huge Palestinian flag that extended for several meters, in addition to the presence of the flags of Lebanon, Cuba, Iran and other countries, to declare solidarity and reject military attacks in the region.
Among the most prominent slogans and symbols spotted in the march that was broadcast on Al Jazeera Live:
- Slogan: “Stop Netanyahu”: Banners were raised at the front of the march calling for the stop of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Bloody Trump statue: A huge statue of US President Donald Trump appeared on the roof of a car with his eyes dripping with blood, and he is holding a large cup with “Cuba” written on it, in a symbolic sign of rejection of hegemonic policies.
- Banning Israeli drones: Banners in French that read, “No to testing Israeli drones on Palestinians in our skies.”
- Rejection of wars: Slogans demanding that the military machine be stopped immediately, using the phrase “Silence your cannons… now and everywhere.”
The original identity of the anti-group coalition was not lost; The protesters carried large banners declaring direct confrontation with the leaders of the seven major countries, including a broad banner that read: “Against the imperialists of the G7… let us build a united popular struggle,” in addition to directing arrows of criticism at transcontinental capitalist companies and accusing them of violating workers’ rights.
Military alert and border coordination
The sudden shift in the weight of the protests from France to Switzerland has confused local authorities in Geneva; The French authorities deployed huge security reinforcements consisting of about 16,000 police, gendarmerie, and firefighters.
In return, Switzerland agreed to deploy about 4,000 soldiers on the ground, in the air, and on the waters of Lake Geneva to support the provincial police and coordinate with the French army.
Banks and major shops covered their glass facades with thick wooden panels in case of any escape, while a clip was broadcast on Al Jazeera live showing a car burning in an area of Geneva.
This security blockade caused a stifling traffic crisis and complete paralysis between the two countries after the Swiss side closed 25 out of 35 land crossings, which directly affected the movement of more than 115,000 people who live in France and cross daily to work in Geneva.
Exporting the security crisis
The preparations behind the scenes were not without silent political tension between the two neighbors. The harsh security conditions imposed by the French authorities forced the “No to the G7” coalition to abandon the idea of holding a “counter-summit” and protest camps on its territory and move it completely to Switzerland.
This decision aroused the ire of the Minister of Security in Geneva, Carole Anne Kast, who publicly criticized the French position in front of journalists, saying: “What we fundamentally regret is that France did not create the conditions for the establishment of this type of counter-summits or dialogue forums on its side of the border.”
On the other hand, the spokeswoman for the protest coalition, Alice Lefrançois, is trying to give a positive tone despite the tension, noting that the demonstrations will include areas designated for families and security teams to protect the participants to ensure a peaceful experience.
