Thousands of anti-abortion activists march through Zurich suburb

Thousands of anti-abortion activists march through Zurich-Oerlikon Keystone-SDA

With crosses, Christian songs and an oversized pram, around two thousand anti-abortion protesters marched through Zurich-Oerlikon on Saturday afternoon. The city police were present with a large contingent.

Dozens of police officers in full riot gear flanked the “March for Life” because left-wing extremists on bicycles tried to disrupt the “Pro Life” rally. Firecrackers were set off several times.

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The police were able to prevent a clash between the groups. However, dozens tried to stop the demonstration several times, as the city police reported in the evening. They did this by blocking the road or pushing containers onto the road. The police warned the troublemakers and used water cannons and chemical irritants.

According to the city police, several dozen people in the vicinity of the event were stopped for incitement to disruptive behaviour and several dozen were turned away.

Security measures had already been necessary at the assembly point. The entire Oerlikon market square was fenced off. The main speaker was the American activist Gianna Jessen, who survived an abortion with saline solution and is now active as a Christian anti-abortion activist.

The Christian-conservative march did not go down well with many passers-by. They booed the chanting demonstrators.

No parade through Zurich city centre

The organisers of the “March for Life” actually applied for a demonstration march through Zurich city centre. However, the city police refused for reasons of space and safety. There had already been major riots in the past.

The anti-abortion activists were unhappy about being restricted to Oerlikon again this year despite being peaceful. They accused the city administration of bias claiming that other demonstrations that lead to damage to property and violence, are tolerated in the Zurich city centre.

The religiously themed “March for Life” has been taking place since 2010, always on the Saturday before the Day of Prayer and Repentance.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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