PHOTOS: G7 Summit Protest Photos

Photos of the G7 Summit protests are flooding social media, as demonstrations in Quebec City protest against the gathering of the world’s most powerful leaders. Topics discussed at the summit this year include discuss job growth, climate change, gender equality and building a more peaceful world. Officially the “Group of Seven,” the G7 is the gathering of seven of the world’s most industrialized nations. This group is comprised of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.

The Réseau de résistance anti-G7 has promised a “day of disruption,” according to CBC. Organizers said that they planned to “prevent delegates and media from reaching La Malbaie in Charlevoix-Est, the site of the summit, 140 kilometres east of the provincial capital.”

According to CBC, “The early-morning protest was quickly declared illegal, because the route wasn’t provided to police. After a tense standoff with police dressed in riot gear, protesters gradually dispersed and the road leading to La Malbaie was re-opened.”

The protest group, which said it was rallying in opposition to racism, colonialism and capitalism, also said there would be “surprises” during the day, CBC reports.

Around 500 people kicked off a series of demonstrations Thursday evening prior to the summit, while protesters made their way from a park in the western part of the city, to the downtown convention center that serves as the media center for the summit.

Protesters marched down the street flanked by police in riot gear, chanting anti-capitalist slogans while donning giant masks and costumes of some of the world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump.

Although the protests have thus far remained mostly peaceful, some demonstrators started small fires and three people have been arrested so far.

There was even a festive protest band that accompanied demonstrators are they marched down the streets of Quebec.

Some stores started to board up their windows and doors Thursday night in preparation for the protests, just in case the protests turned violent.

Gallery owner Esther Garneau still welcomed potential customers, despite the fact the large, glass window facade of her store was covered with plywood.

“I’m staying open with the barricades,” she told CTV News. “I’m more worried about the nighttime.”

“My artists were worried. The artwork here is made by hand and not machine — you can’t just re-make it the next day. I decided to put up the plywood to make them feel better because they were really worried.”

Although Amnesty International and Quebec’s league for civil liberties was told police don’t anticipate making any mass arrests, the number of temporary detention spaces that have popped up around Quebec City has representatives from both groups questioning their motives, CTV News reports.

“With all the security measures that have been put in place, it’s leading us to believe there is a gap between the discourse and the reality,” said Genevieve Paul, head of the francophone Canadian branch of Amnesty International.

This is a developing story. Heavy will update as more information is known.