Burned Tesla and broken UN office windows: Protesters rally against G7

Geneva police on Sunday fired teargas at protesters who set fire to a Tesla vehicle and smashed ​windows at a United Nations agency as they vented their anger at ‌a Group of Seven summit about to take place across the border in France, Reuters writes.

Some 20,000 people gathered for a march that was initially peaceful but protesters later targeted what they depicted as symbols ​of capitalism and multilateralism, including the parked Tesla and the UN office.

Demonstrators ​ripped bricks from the ground to throw at police, Reuters witnesses said.

Demonstrators said they came to protest against the G7 as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power. Last week Tesla owner Elon Musk, who has ​worked as an advisor to US President Donald Trump, became the world’s first trillionaire.

“To me, ​it’s a meeting of the rich that shows once again how the rich can become even ‌richer ⁠while the poor are left behind,” one of the protestors said.

As noted, protests have been ​common at G7 gatherings over the years, with many demonstrators using the summits to ​decry capitalism, globalization, climate change and inequality.