A group of about 350 protesters disrupted a meeting of France’s Socialist Party, tossing rocks through the windows of a conference center and accusing the party of not being radical enough. The protesters scuffled with police who fired tear gas, dispersing the crowd. The violence — no injuries were reported but windows were broken — was a vivid reminder of the divisions among G-8 critics, who espouse a wide range of causes including forgiving poor nations’ debt, protecting the environment and stopping globalization. Later Saturday, dozens of protesters set fire to shops and smashed windows in downtown Geneva, where tens of thousands were to gather for a protest march on Sunday. Geneva police spokesman Jacques Volery said at least 10 shops were targeted during the melee involving some 300 individuals, but he was unable to give details of the extent of the damage. “It keeps stopping and starting,” Volery told The Associated Press. “They are operating in small groups, which makes them hard to control.” There are disagreements among the protesters over methods. Some like the Socialists are sober-minded activists. Others are loud “revolution” seekers. Most believe in peaceful demonstrations, but a small band of anarchists think destructive protest is more effective. The Socialists were meeting Saturday as part of a “counter-summit” to address issues critics say the G-8 is ignoring, such as the woes of immigrants and refugees in Europe, debt relief and African development. Some 500 Swiss G-8 protesters lit 52 bonfires simultaneously Saturday night along the 104-mile crescent-shaped shoreline of Lake Geneva in a peaceful demonstration meant to contrast with summit protests that have turned violent in the past. “It’s a symbolic encirclement of the G-8,” Swiss left-wing lawmaker Josef Zisyadis told the AP.
