Geneva On Alert As 50,000 Expected At G7 Protest March

GENEVA, June 14 (NNN-dpa) -- Up to 50,000 demonstrators are expected to march through the Swiss border city of Geneva on Sunday to protest against capitalism, exploitation and a range of other issues ahead of the G7 summit in the French town of Évian, according to police.

The protest is being organised by a No G7 coalition of several dozen groups, reported German news agency dpa.

The demonstration is taking place in Geneva because France declined to issue permits for any protests near the G7 summit venue, the Geneva city government said, criticisng the decision. Geneva lies around 50 kilometres south-west of Évian.

Geneva airport will also serve as the arrival point for the leaders attending the summit and their delegations on Monday, as it is the nearest airport to the venue.

Geneva's city centre has been in a state of emergency for days: Hundreds of luxury shops and banks, as well as hotels and supermarkets, have boarded up their facades and shop windows with plywood panels out of fear of unrest.

At a summit in Évian in 2003, rioters smashed windows, looted shops and caused millions in damage in Geneva.

--NNN-dpa