Several hundred people took part in protests in Zurich and Basel on Saturday night under the banner “On en a marre – en Suisse aussi” [We’ve had enough – in Switzerland too], echoing protests in France.
The two unauthorised demonstrations were marred by violence, requiring the intervention of the police.
In Zurich, hundreds of people, some wearing Halloween masks, gathered at around 10:30 pm on Langstrasse in the city centre. Fireworks and flares were set off as the crowd made its way towards Helvetiaplatz, a few hundred metres from the main station.
The atmosphere changed as soon as the demonstrators reached the square, a Keystone-ATS journalist observed at the scene. The shelter at the local bus stop was damaged and a barricade made of rubbish bins, bicycles and other objects was set alight.
The police intervened with water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. Small groups of rioters set fire to rubbish bins in various locations, according to the municipal police. A car was also set alight and the shop windows of several shops were damaged. The police said they were repeatedly targeted with fireworks, bottles and stones. They replied using tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes continued until around 1:30 am.
A police patrol, which had responded to a medical emergency, was attacked by a crowd, the police said. Their vehicle was damaged and the officers were forced to withdraw before they could assist a teenager who had suffered serious leg injuries following an accident.
In Basel, around 150 people gathered in the city centre at around 9pm, according to a statement from the cantonal police.
After a number of speeches, the procession crossed the Mittlere Rheinbrücke, which spans the Rhine and connects the city centre on the left bank of the river with the Kleinbasel district on the right bank, to reach the Marktplatz, in the heart of the historic centre, before heading north into the St. Johann district. There some demonstrators set fire to barricades made of rubbish bins and metal barriers, prompting the police to intervene.
As in Zurich, the Basel demonstrators drew parallels with the youth protests in France and other European countries. In recent days, unknown individuals have launched a call on social media using the slogan “GenZ regelt!” [Generation Z is in charge!], a phrase used by young demonstrators in Germany.
The two unauthorised demonstrations were marred by violence, requiring the intervention of the police.
In Zurich, hundreds of people, some wearing Halloween masks, gathered at around 10:30 pm on Langstrasse in the city centre. Fireworks and flares were set off as the crowd made its way towards Helvetiaplatz, a few hundred metres from the main station.
The atmosphere changed as soon as the demonstrators reached the square, a Keystone-ATS journalist observed at the scene. The shelter at the local bus stop was damaged and a barricade made of rubbish bins, bicycles and other objects was set alight.
The police intervened with water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. Small groups of rioters set fire to rubbish bins in various locations, according to the municipal police. A car was also set alight and the shop windows of several shops were damaged. The police said they were repeatedly targeted with fireworks, bottles and stones. They replied using tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes continued until around 1:30 am.
A police patrol, which had responded to a medical emergency, was attacked by a crowd, the police said. Their vehicle was damaged and the officers were forced to withdraw before they could assist a teenager who had suffered serious leg injuries following an accident.
In Basel, around 150 people gathered in the city centre at around 9pm, according to a statement from the cantonal police.
After a number of speeches, the procession crossed the Mittlere Rheinbrücke, which spans the Rhine and connects the city centre on the left bank of the river with the Kleinbasel district on the right bank, to reach the Marktplatz, in the heart of the historic centre, before heading north into the St. Johann district. There some demonstrators set fire to barricades made of rubbish bins and metal barriers, prompting the police to intervene.
As in Zurich, the Basel demonstrators drew parallels with the youth protests in France and other European countries. In recent days, unknown individuals have launched a call on social media using the slogan “GenZ regelt!” [Generation Z is in charge!], a phrase used by young demonstrators in Germany.
