Protest flotilla intercepted on Lake Geneva during G7 summit; police officer dies in separate accident

Protest flotilla turned back

On Saturday afternoon, a flotilla of 25 boats gathered on Lake Geneva near Évian, where the G7 summit was taking place. Among the protesters on board were Vaud National Councillor Léonore Porchet of the Green Party and Rémy Pagani, former mayor of Geneva. The boats were intercepted by police and escorted back to the Swiss coast.

Fatal accident during security operations

Separately, a police officer died in a traffic accident in Haute-Savoie linked to the security measures for the summit, according to a source from authorities. Two other people were injured in the incident. No further details about the crash were immediately available.

Demonstrators' message

The protesters aimed to denounce what they called the silence of Switzerland in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and its role in securing a summit that mobilizes borders, army, airspace and Lake Geneva in the service of interests that are not those of the peoples, as captured in a statement cited by the Tribune de Genève.

the silence of Switzerland in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and its role in securing a summit that mobilizes borders, army, airspace and Lake Geneva in the service of interests that are not those of the peoples

Background on Pagani

Rémy Pagani, the former mayor of Geneva, had recently been released from detention in Israel after being intercepted aboard a ship headed for Gaza. His presence underscored the protest's link to the Palestinian cause and wider criticism of Israeli military operations.

Security lockdown around Évian

The G7 summit triggered a large-scale security deployment, with road closures, military patrols, and restricted airspace over Lake Geneva. The protest boats were confronted by police vessels enforcing a no-go zone on the water. The fatal accident occurred amid heightened movement of security personnel across the Haute-Savoie region.