France locks down Évian for high-security G7 summit as Trump visit sparks Geneva protests

Security lockdown

Some 16,000 to 18,000 personnel are being deployed on the French side to protect leaders and cordon off the venue. The force includes around 7,000 police, 6,000 gendarmes, 460 motorcyclists for motorcades, 200 close-protection officers for heads of state and their spouses, 830 border agents, and 900 military personnel securing land, air and the lake itself. On Lac Léman, 30 boats are positioned in cooperation with Swiss authorities, while an anti-missile battery has been installed on the central Place Rouge. Air traffic over the area requires accreditation, and a 'red zone' around the Hôtel Royal makes access impossible without a badge after security screening.

Diplomatic agenda

The summit opens on Monday at 19:00 and will last until Wednesday. A first bilateral meeting is scheduled between French President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump. The agenda is dominated by the Middle East, talks over a possible U.S.-Iran agreement, the war in Ukraine, NATO dynamics and Russian threats. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the invited guests, joining leaders of the G7 nations (France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada) and eight other countries, including India, Egypt, Brazil, South Korea, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Protests and opposition

Organised dissent is concentrated in Geneva, where an estimated 20,000 demonstrators took to the streets on Sunday. Many placards targeted Donald Trump, with some protesters referencing his association with Jeffrey Epstein. The march was largely peaceful during the afternoon, but in the evening clashes erupted with police: tear gas was fired, projectiles thrown, and at least one vehicle was set alight. Switzerland has mobilised 4,000 soldiers to support police. On the French side, the town of Évian itself has been described as 'deserted' on the eve of the summit, with some residents choosing to leave and others accepting the disruption with patience.

A town used to global events

Évian-les-Bains, a municipality of 9,000 inhabitants on a 4.3 km² strip between lake and mountains, has a long history of hosting international gatherings, from the 1938 refugee conference to the 1962 Evian Accords that ended the Algerian War, and the G8 summit in 2003. Mayor Josiane Lei calls the G7 a 'global postcard' for the region and expects a long-term tourism boost. She also acknowledges the economic pinch for some local businesses and has left the door open to state compensation once the summit's impact can be assessed.

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The G7 is a global postcard for Évian-les-Bains and Haute-Savoie.

The G7 itself represents a way of managing global geopolitics and an imperialism that is already questionable, but even more so. In fact, the character of Trump represents an even more unbridled fascism.