Around 200 demonstrators have marched through Lausanne, protesting against a conference attended by the world’s biggest commodities traders. They denounced the “looting” of resources in developing countries.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
Leaving the station, the protestors headed through the city down to the edge of the lake, near the hotel that was hosting for the eighth consecutive year the FT Commodities Global SummitExternal link.
Messages on placards included “Traders, bankers, stop your skulduggery”, “Famine, listed on the stock exchange” and “Save the planet, eat a capitalist”.
One protester, addressing the crowd, denounced the “dirty hands of the brokers” and called for international solidarity, especially for developing countries that are victims of commodity traders.
Twenty or so demonstrators dressed in black provoked the police, knocking over barriers, before being doused in pepper spray.
A few metres away, a marriage was “celebrated” between Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis and Glencore, the world’s biggest mining company with headquarters in the Swiss canton of Zug. Cassis recently made headlines and angered NGOs because of a trip to Zambia and his visit to Glencore.
This content was published on
As part of his five-day trip to Africa, Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis visited a copper mine. Now he faces criticism.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Pressure mounts on Swiss commodity traders in Brazil corruption probe
This content was published on
Pressure is growing on commodity trading firms with ties to Switzerland for their alleged involvement in the “Car Wash” corruption scandal in Brazil.
This content was published on
Andreas Missbach of Public Eye believes Switzerland must rein in global commodity traders accused of human rights and environmental violations.
How do traders ensure due diligence in high-risk countries?
This content was published on
The high number of corruption allegations in the commodities sector raises the question of how traders ensure due diligence in high-risk states.
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.