Covid demonstrators ordered to pay security costs

Police deal with opponents of government Covid measures at an unauthorised demo in Bern in September 2021 Keystone / Peter Schneider

For the first time the city of Bern has told participants of violent demonstrations to pay up. Six opponents of the government’s Covid-19 measures are to contribute between CHF200 and CHF1,000 ($198-$990) to the cost of police operations.

Fines will be imposed on those who used violence during the unauthorised demonstrations against the Covid measures in autumn 2021. Some participants who assaulted security guards have already been convicted. Others may receive injunctions in the near future, Reto Nause, director of security for the city of Bern, told Swiss public television, SRFExternal link. Proceedings are still pending, he said.

The passing on of costs has been anchored in the Police Law of canton Bern since June 2020. The bill was approved by voters in 2019. The canton can charge organisers or people who use violence up to CHF10,000 or even CHF30,000 in serious cases. For the costs to be passed on, the rally must be unauthorised and violent. In addition, the police must be able to prove the incidents to the people concerned.

The unauthorised demonstrations, organised by opponents of the government’s Covid measures, always resulted in a massive police presence. The security costs amounted to CHF100,000-CHF200,000 each time. Several rallies got out of hand.

The left-wing association Democratic Lawyers of BernExternal link (DJB) says it sees the passing on of costs as a curtailment of fundamental rights and welcomes the fact that the rulings will ultimately be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

More than 13,700 people have died in Switzerland in connection with Covid-19.