Construction workers board up a shop window, ahead of expected protests for the G7 summit, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo\/Baz Ratner)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-06-14T06:00:09Z<\/p>\n
GENEVA (AP) \u2014 Scores of shops and businesses in downtown Geneva boarded up their storefronts with wooden panels ahead of planned anti-G7 protests on Sunday. <\/p>\n
French and Swiss authorities have imposed extensive security measures as U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a><\/span> and other leaders attend a G7 summit<\/a><\/span> of leading industrialized nations starting on Monday. There are concerns the gathering could trigger violent unrest.<\/p>\n The June 15-17 summit of some of the world\u2019s richest nations being held in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, on Lake Geneva, is meant to discuss the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic imbalances. Activist groups including environmentalists, feminists and foes of capitalism have called for a big demonstration later Sunday. <\/p>\n A flotilla of around 20 boats appeared on Lake Geneva off the coast of Evian on Saturday, displaying anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian banners. Some 20 protesters were detained on Friday evening, according to Swiss media reports.<\/p>\n Earlier, between 100 and 150 people had gathered in Geneva for a protest bicycle ride, slowing down traffic and chanting anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian slogans, public broadcaster RTS reported.<\/p>\n Business owners and local leaders are worried of a repeat of violent protests that smashed storefronts on the sidelines of the G8 summit in 2003, when Russia was in the club of nations. <\/p>\n Local resident Robin Hedz lamented the \u201cmess\u201d and expressed bafflement about the \u201cwood-wall everywhere,\u201d while acknowledging the memories of the trail of damaged property at the summit over a generation ago. <\/p>\n