Le Havre , France ( CNN ) -- Several thousand demonstrators marched through this industrial port city in a mostly peaceful protest against an upcoming summit of the world 's group of eight wealthiest countries . Activists from an eclectic mix of labor unions , leftist political parties , and environmentalist and women 's rights groups participated in the march through Le Havre 's mostly deserted streets , under the slogan `` G-8 Degage . '' Degage means `` get lost . '' It was also a rallying cry for the revolution in Tunisia last January that toppled Western-backed dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali . The protest is being held days ahead of the summit . On Wednesday , leaders from the U.S. , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Britain , Canada and Russia will converge in the coastal resort of Deauville , more than 20 miles away from Le Havre . `` No , of course they are not welcome here , '' said Baptiste Simon , who held a sign denouncing government cutbacks in social services . `` If it was the G-182 , like all of the countries of the United Nations , then they would be welcome here . '' `` Deauville is the capital of the grand bourgeoisie in France , '' said union activist Philippe Saunier , referring to Deauville 's reputation as an exclusive playground for the French aristocracy . `` It is a symbol of the bourgeoisie . '' `` We are part of the protest here because we feel that with all the issues that are being discussed here , whether it be trade or the crisis , it 's always that women are left behind , voices of women are never heard , '' said Wilhelmina Trout , a South African activist with the group World March of Women . After marching peacefully for several hours , several younger , black-clad members of the protest began smashing shop windows and spray-painting anarchy signs on store fronts , sending several city residents running in panic down a side street . A half dozen plain-clothes police officers who had infiltrated the march tried to detain one of the suspected vandals . The young man resisted , prompting other anarchists to come to his rescue . They hurled stones at the undercover police officers and chased them as they fled the scene . For the moment , the suspect escaped arrest . Moments later , the anarchists clashed with fellow anti-G8 protesters . They threw paint and oil at security volunteers from one of the largest labor unions organizing the protest when they were barred from entering the main grounds where a concert was to be held . Large international summits and meetings of the world 's largest financial institutions are regular targets of anti-globalization demonstrators , whose radical fringes often engage in vandalism and clashes with police . `` We are clearly against violence , '' said Saunier , who was a member of the protest 's volunteer security force . `` But there are always some provocateurs . '' Though the demonstrators were clearly from the left wing of the political spectrum , there was little to no mention of the disgraced former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn . Up until his arrest in New York last Saturday , Strauss-Kahn was widely considered to be the French Socialist Party 's best hope for wresting the presidency away from Nicholas Sarkozy in next year 's presidential election . Saturday 's anti-G8 protesters had little positive to say about Strauss-Kahn . `` He 's not a good candidate of the left , '' said Saunier , the labor activist . `` He is a member of the grand bourgeoisie , '' he added , referring to Strauss-Kahn 's vast wealth , and his residences in Paris , Washington and Morocco , which are widely reported to be worth millions of dollars .
Large demonstration mostly peaceful . Anti-globalization activists call for inclusion of women 's issues , among others . No support heard for ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn .