Luxury boutiques, souvenir shops, banks, pharmacies, medical centers, and other storefronts in parts of Geneva are being shielded with wooden panels ahead of next week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit in nearby Evian-les-Bains.
The measures, visible across parts of the city center and Old Town, have revived memories of the unrest that accompanied the 2003 G8 summit in Evian, when demonstrations, vandalism and looting spilled across the border into Geneva.
Although the G7 summit will take place in France from June 15-17, Geneva is expected to feel many of the effects, with reinforced border controls, traffic restrictions, public transport disruptions and one of the largest security operations seen in the region in years.
Located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Geneva on the southern shore of Lake Geneva, Evian has long been closely connected to Switzerland’s second-largest city. The proximity means preparations for major international gatherings often extend well beyond the French resort town itself.
At Pain de Sucre, a boutique near Rue de Rive, owner Marine told Anadolu that the decision to install protective barriers was made by the building owner rather than individual tenants.
“It wasn’t us who made the decision. The owner of the building decided to protect all the shops,” she said. “It’s simply a protective measure.”
She said the precautions are nevertheless expected to affect business during an important sales period.
“We think it will slow our sales in the coming days,” Marine said. “Summer is normally a good period for us, so it will inevitably have an impact on our sales.”
Massive security operation
Authorities have spent months preparing for the event. The Geneva cantonal police said planning for the security operation began a year ago and involves close coordination with federal authorities, neighboring cantons and French counterparts.
The heightened preparations come as the No G7 coalition plans several days of protests and events in Geneva ahead of the summit. Organizers say they oppose the political, economic and foreign policies of G7 countries and have called for an international mobilization from June 13 to June 17.
Geneva authorities have authorized a march on June 14 on the city’s right bank, where around 40,000 to 50,000 people are expected to participate. According to Alexandre Brahier, spokesman for Geneva police who spoke to Anadolu, no other demonstrations have been authorized so far.
“We will deploy a security arrangement to supervise the demonstration so that freedom of expression can take place under the best possible conditions and, in the event of public-order disturbances, intervene as quickly as possible,” Brahier said.
The operation will mobilize thousands of personnel, including all Geneva police officers, more than 1,000 officers from other Swiss cantons, around 4,000 Swiss Army troops and additional support from French authorities.
Brahier said authorities are monitoring multiple risks linked to the summit, including mobility disruptions, cybercrime, sabotage and public-order incidents.
Disruptions to daily life
The impact on daily life is expected to extend well beyond the summit dates themselves.
From June 12-18, Switzerland will temporarily reintroduce checks at the French border, while 25 border crossings between Geneva and France will be closed as part of the security operation. Authorities said some crossings would begin shutting down as early as the afternoon of June 11 to allow the installation of security infrastructure.
Major crossings including Bardonnex, Thonex-Vallard, Ferney-Voltaire and Meyrin will remain open, although authorities have warned of longer waiting times and increased checks.
Authorities have urged residents to work from home when possible, use public transportation, postpone non-essential travel and allow additional time for cross-border journeys and trips to Geneva Airport.
Public transport will also be affected, according to public transport service TPG. Traffic restrictions will also affect the A1 motorway. Cross-border public transport services are expected to face disruptions, while trains crossing the border could experience delays due to increased security checks.
The visible precautions taken by businesses have become one of the most striking signs of the approaching summit.
The precautions have transformed parts of the city, where rows of covered storefronts now line streets that are typically among Geneva's busiest commercial areas.
Memories of 2003
The memory of the 2003 G8 summit remains particularly vivid in Geneva. Ahead of that gathering, many banks and businesses in the city center also protected their storefronts and removed valuable items from display as a precaution.
While a march of more than 80,000 people was largely peaceful, groups of violent protesters later vandalized and looted businesses in central Geneva, clashed with police and caused millions of dollars in damage, according to authorities. A subsequent official review concluded that police had been overwhelmed by the scale of the unrest.
Similar concerns were expressed by Anne of AD Collection, a boutique in Geneva’s Old Town, who said many businesses were taking precautions ahead of the demonstrations.
“The barriers are a protective measure because there will be a demonstration on Sunday,” she told Anadolu. “Most shops are barricading themselves to avoid a repeat of what happened before.”
Although the business plans to remain open initially, she said closures during the summit period remain possible.
“For now we plan to stay open even with the barriers, but we will probably have to close on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” she said.
“The whole week is already very quiet. In total, we’re looking at roughly a week to 10 days of lower sales.”
