RING OF STEEL
Armed cops clash with protesters ahead of G7 summit as officers sweep beaches for mines
ARMED cops clashed with protesters ahead of the G7 summit in France today, as they swept beaches for mines and tried to keep the town clear of potential trouble.
A ring of steel has been set up around the site where seven world leaders have met for a weekend of talks in Biarritz.
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This morning anti-G7 protesters were arrested near the summit site, and officers were pictured breaking up a makeshift barricade set up by demonstrators at a tent camp near Hendaye, France.
Yesterday surfers were moved on from the waters off the resort coast, and French military were seen carrying out a de-mining sweep on the beaches nearby.
Cops on motorbikes are patrolling the streets of the southern France seaside town, as cars are thoroughly checked and the resort has been left almost deserted.
Later today riot police briefly used water cannons and tear-gas to disperse protesters, as a cop helicopter circled over the heads of dozens of masked activists.
G7 gatherings tend to attract thousands of protesters, and this year a camp has been set up on both sides of the border between France and Spain.
US protesters have made up the majority of this camp, ahead of US President Donald Trump's arrival today.
Yesterday, before he flew to France, the president said he would be "seeing a lot of leaders who are friends of mine, for the most part".
In 2018, protest groups in Quebec focused on global trade, the environment, migration, aboriginal rights and a number of other issues.
A coalition organised "a mass demonstration against the G7, capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism, racism and borders".
Also known as the Group of Seven, these countries are the seven largest economies of the world.
COPS CLASH
Together, they represent more than 62 per cent of the global net wealth ($280trillion).
The group was founded in the early 1970s as the seven countries discussed concerns about the collapse of the oil industry.
Since then, 43 summits have been held across the globe as members discuss everything from the environment to the economy.
The group was previously known as the G8 and counted Russia among its members, but Russia has been excluded since annexing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in early 2014.
Issues on the agenda at the G7 include the global economy, tackling inequality and responding to the challenges of the digital age and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Mr Macron also called for leaders to address the destruction in the Amazon, telling the G7 "our house is burning".
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Mr Johnson said the UK would "never flinch" from its responsibilities as a leading international nation and part of the G7 - which also comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
He said: "My message to G7 leaders this week is this: the Britain I lead will be an international, outward-looking, self-confident nation.
"We will be an energetic partner on the world stage. We will stand alongside our G7 allies to solve the most pressing international issues."
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