Businesses in Geneva are installing protective panels on their windows to prepare for potential unrest during the Group of Seven (G7) summit, which will be held from March 15th to 17th in the French town of Evian-les-Bains.
Geneva serves as the main gateway to Evian-les-Bains. Many delegations attending the G7 summit will arrive in the city by plane and then travel by car to Evian-les-Bains.
Large-scale protests are expected in Geneva during the G7 summit. Officials in Geneva have already approved a large-scale march on Sunday afternoon, with tens of thousands of protesters expected to participate. Other unapproved marches are unpredictable.
Against this backdrop, businesses in downtown Geneva, train stations, and major shopping streets have begun installing protective panels to prevent protests from turning into unrest.
"It's not exactly pleasant for customers to eat at the same time while construction work is underway, especially with all the wood dust. Our goal is to barricade the restaurant to prevent protesters from rushing in," said Isaac Kiboul, a restaurant manager.
The sudden surge in demand for protective measures has led to a shortage of carpenters and wooden panels in Geneva. Supplies are now being urgently brought in from other Swiss cantons. As prices rise, many businesses are choosing not to install protective panels after weighing the cost.
"Those (protective measures) are expensive and useless. If they decide to rush in, they will. They're not going to avoid my shop just because I spent a fortune boarding it up," said Jean, a snack shop owner.
Evian-les-Bains hosted the G8 summit in 2003, when thousands of protesters held rallies and marches in Switzerland's Geneva and Lausanne. The peaceful demonstrations eventually escalated into serious unrest, with some protesters clashing violently with local police.
Businesses in Geneva install protective panels ahead of G7 summit
