Bern’s controversial alternative arts centre, the Reitschule, will not be closed.
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swissinfo.ch and agencies
Voters on Sunday rejected an initiative by the local section of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party calling for the Reitschule to be sold to the highest bidder.
The initiative was rejected by 68.4 per cent of those who voted. Bern mayor Alexander Tschäppät, a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, said he was “more than proud” of the Bernese for the way they had voted.
The city-owned centre has split opinion for decades, with opponents arguing it is a hotbed of leftwing extremism and drug dealing.
Sunday’s local ballot was the fifth in 23 years on the fate of the Reitschule, or Reithalle. Every time voters have chosen to save it.
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You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.