France: Police Fire Water Cannons Against G-7 Protesters
Anti G-7 protesters clashed with police in Bayonne, France, Saturday, August 24, after anti-globalization and climate activists teamed up with “yellow vest” protesters and Basque nationalists to protest against the Group of Seven meeting in the southwest coastal town of Biarritz.
Police used water cannons to prevent protesters from crossing a bridge after demonstrators held an impromptu march from a G-7 countersummit on the French-Spanish border about 30 kilometers south of Biarritz toward Bayonne, just 8.5 kilometers from the G-7 venue. Masked protesters threw stones and other objects at the police and kicked back tear gas cannisters.
More than 13,000 police officers are guarding the summit site in Biarritz under fears that anarchist groups might have tried to derail Saturday’s protest, which has been billed as a peaceful family event. (Reuters)