Thousands of separatists protest Moutier vote court decision
The coffin-bearing pro-Jura separatist procession passed without disturbances.
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Several thousand protesters held a mock funeral in the Swiss town of Moutier, saying a court decision to overturn a contentious vote on switching cantons had “buried democracy”.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Moutier sits close to the border of cantons Bern and Jura and is administered by Bern. A vote in June 2017 appeared to allow Moutier to switch allegiance to Jura, but last year it was overruled by a court that found evidence of voting irregularities. An appeal against that decision to the Bern Administrative Court was turned down on Thursday.
In response to the latest verdict, hundreds of pro-Jura separatists dressed in black to stage a mock funeral procession from the town’s railway station to the town hall on Friday. The demonstration included people bearing a coffin.
There were no disturbances or arrests according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA, which estimates a protest of between 3,000 to 4,000 people.
French-speaking Jura became the 26th Swiss canton in 1979 when a separatist movement won a vote to secede from the mainly German-speaking canton Bern. While not on the same scale as separatist movements in other countries, the Jura independence campaign caused waves in the normally staid Swiss political scene.
The Moutier vote two years’ ago showed that the decades-old political issue is still alive in towns and villages close to the border.
More
More
Why Moutier matters more than Brexit
This content was published on
The democratic potential of public votes depends on the legal design and political context as shown in two examples in Britain and Switzerland.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
Top Swiss politician experiences drone attack in Ukraine
This content was published on
Maja Riniker, president of the Swiss House of Representatives, said she had to spend two hours in a bunker during her trip to Ukraine because of Russian drone attacks.
This content was published on
A rockfall caused an interruption of several hours on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway between Thusis and Tiefencastel on Thursday.
This content was published on
A 600kg bull that escaped in the Montalchez region of canton Neuchâtel has been found in a pen surrounded by several cows.
Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award
This content was published on
The Bern-based chatbot "Sophia" has won the United Nations' "AI for Good Impact Award 2025". The chatbot is designed to help victims of domestic violence.
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
Court supports decision to declare Moutier vote invalid
This content was published on
The Bern administrative court has backed a decision to cancel the results of a separatist vote by the Swiss town of Moutier.
This content was published on
The Swiss town of Moutier has confirmed that it will appeal a decision to annul the result of a vote on which canton it should belong to.
This content was published on
Several hundred people have joined a silent, candlelit protest in the town of Moutier after a vote to switch cantons was on Monday declared invalid.
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.