Anti-fascist march in Bern leads to property damage

The rally was not approved and, according to the Bern cantonal police, there were attacks against emergency services and numerous cases of property damage. Keystone / Peter Schneider

Several hundred people took part in an Antifa "evening walk” in Bern on Saturday. The rally was not approved and, according to the Bern cantonal police, there were attacks against emergency services and numerous cases of property damage.

The police protected various buildings, including the theatre (Stadttheater) and accompanied the procession with a large contingent. The police initially let the demonstrators have their way, as a reporter from the Keystone-SDA news agency reported.

Many of the demo participants were masked and set off firecrackers. There was also spray painting and property damage along the route. In one neighbourhood, the windows of a bank branch were smashed. The cantonal police temporarily closed traffic in some sections of the city.

Groups from Basel and Zurich had also called for participation in the parade, including the Basel group “Nazifrei”. With the so-called “evening march” the group wanted to reinforce their resistance to the state and fascism, as they said in calls on the Internet.

In the past, Antifa marches in Bern have repeatedly resulted in violence, property damage and skirmishes with the police. Last year, over a thousand people took part in the parade.

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