Some 3,000 people opposed to the Swiss government’s anti-coronavirus measures gathered near Bern on Friday in a peaceful protest that had been authorised by the city authorities. Police were present but did not intervene.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
Speakers included Robert F. Kennedy Junior, nephew of the former US president of the same name whose radical anti-vaccination views have led part of his family to distance themselves from him. He called Switzerland the last bastion of democracy and urged its citizens to reject the government’s Covid law, which will be put to a popular vote on November 28.
They also included organic farmer and Zurich local MP Urs Hans who told the crowd “there has never been a pandemic”, to which they chanted “Freedom!”
The coronavirus situation in Switzerland has worsened since the onset of winter, with nearly 4,000 new cases, seven deaths and 68 people hospitalized in the last 24 hours, according to the Federal Office of Public Health. About 65% of the population is now fully vaccinated.
Public protests against government anti-Covid restrictions have continued especially since the Covid certificate was extended in September to indoor spaces such as bars and restaurants.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
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.
Read more
More
Covid protest draws thousands to Swiss capital
This content was published on
Several thousand people have gathered in Bern for the latest rally of opponents of government measures to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bern to get tougher on unauthorised Covid protesters
This content was published on
Participants in often violent, unauthorised weekly protests in Bern against Covid measures will now have to pay for the cost of police operations.
Hundreds gather in Zurich to protest against Covid-19 measures
This content was published on
Opponents of anti-Covid-19 measures and a law on vaccination certificates marched into the city on Saturday, as did counter-demonstrators.
This content was published on
More than 1,000 people demonstrated against extending the use of the Covid certificate in the Swiss capital, Bern, on Wednesday evening.
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.