Riot Before the Summit - Place Neuve
On Saturday 28 November 2009, a march of thousands against the WTO set off from Place Neuve, but about 200 masked black bloc rioters smashed windows and burned cars, the organisers called it off after about 500 metres, and 33 people were arrested.
Sobre este lugar
Framed by the Grand Théâtre, the Musée Rath and the Conservatoire, with General Dufour on horseback at its centre, Place Neuve is Geneva's grand cultural square, laid out where the Porte Neuve city gate stood until 1853. On Saturday 28 November 2009, two days before the World Trade Organization opened its ministerial conference in Geneva, between 3,000 and 5,000 farmers, trade unionists, campaigners and families gathered here at 2 p.m. for an approved march along the Rue de la Corraterie and the quays to the WTO headquarters. Police had already carried out more than 600 checks, yet they counted about 200 masked members of the black bloc in the crowd, and the damage began soon after the march set off. At least four cars were set on fire, fifteen more vehicles and twelve businesses were damaged, among them a bank on Place Bel-Air and a jeweller and a hotel on the Quai des Bergues, and police answered with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets. After about 500 metres the organisers called the march off. Thirty three people were arrested, and the canton later paid 558,000 francs to the police of other cantons and opened a compensation office for uninsured victims. Today nothing on the square recalls that afternoon: the opera posters, the trams and the bronze general have taken it back.
Datos clave
- 500 metres — The march was called off after only about 500 metres of an approved route that was meant to lead along the quays to the WTO headquarters.
- 4 cars burned — At least four cars were set on fire, and fifteen more vehicles, including three buses, were damaged.
- 33 arrests — Police arrested 33 people: 14 black bloc members for rioting and four others for looting.