Demonstrator accuses Geneva police of assault after anti-G7 protest
A 28-year-old Swiss man claims to have been beaten by plainclothes police officers on Sunday evening in Geneva. He has filed a complaint, as has another couple.
Allegations against plainclothes police officers after G7 operation in Geneva
According to Blick, citing the Tribune de Genève, a 28-year-old Swiss man was allegedly brutally beaten by plainclothes police officers on Sunday around midnight on the edge of the anti-G7 demonstration in Geneva's Pâquis district.
The man claims to have been pursued, struck, sprayed with tear gas and then handcuffed by the officers. "He thought he would die," his sister told the newspaper. According to his own account, before the incident he intended to supply relatives with food, as they were unable to leave the Pâquis district due to a police cordon.
Residents witnessed the scene. "A police car drove past without stopping," one of them reported. A video also shows a patrol observing the altercation and then leaving the area. The alleged victim, his family and several witnesses disputed to the newspaper that he had refused to comply with police instructions.
The 28-year-old sustained a broken hand, severe bruising and a head injury and has filed a complaint. A couple who were riding bicycles at the same time and claim to have also been attacked have likewise filed criminal charges.
Geneva police confirmed that an arrest took place as part of security measures for the G7 summit, but declined to comment further on the incident. They stated that reviews and an analysis of the operation are currently underway.
Source: Blick