GENEVA — An anti-G7 protest in Geneva began in a carnival atmosphere yesterday before descending into violence, with building facades smashed in and police firing tear gas at masked youths.

The day started in tranquil fashion: ahead of the march, people gathered in a park overlooking Lake Geneva, seeking shade from the blazing afternoon sun and catching up with friends as they arrived.

The atmosphere was festive, with people singing and dancing and putting the final touches to their placards, bearing slogans like “G7 = racket. Make anti-imperialism great again”.

Marco, 36, who lives in Geneva, was among those in positive spirits.

“In a time when everyone’s reading depressing news on their phones, it’s an opportunity to see that the left is still alive—and maybe even making a resurgence,” he told AFP.

The “No-G7” umbrella coalition, representing various causes, called the demonstration in the Swiss city to protest against the Group of Seven summit taking place in nearby Evian in France.

“It’s been a long time since I protested,” said Claude, a 65-year-old retiree from La Chaux-de-Fonds in northwest Switzerland. “Now there is an urgent need to protest.”

He was on the march “to demonstrate against the assassins of humanity”, he added.