Leading Social Democrat acquitted
A leading member of the Social Democratic Party, Christiane Brunner, has been acquitted by a court in Berne. She had been sued by the city of Berne after refusing to pay a fine imposed for taking part in an unauthorised demonstration.
The judge ruled that the protest, held one day after Swiss voters turned down plans to introduce a national maternity insurance, had been spontaneous and therefore required no authorisation.
Furthermore, he said the Swiss Trade Unions Federation had warned local police of the upcoming protest, as required by city ordinances.
The city of Berne had fined Brunner SFr300, but the trade union leader refused to pay, saying she had not organised the protest and that she was being singled out for political reasons.
Besides being a prominent trade unionist and senator for canton Geneva, Brunner is also the only candidate to take over the presidency of the Social Democratic Party in October.
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