Pro-Palestine rallies in Zurich and Geneva draw thousands

In Geneva, around 2,000 people demonstrated in support of Palestinians. © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Around 3,000 demonstrators called for a "free Gaza" in Zurich and Geneva on Saturday afternoon. Once again, the controversial call "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" was chanted.

The demonstrations were authorised. The slogan “From the river to the sea” is labelled as clearly anti-Semitic by the Israeli side, as it denies Israel and its inhabitants the right to exist.

One speaker also called on participants on Zurich’s Helvetiaplatz to boycott “Israel-friendly” brands, such as the Starbucks coffee chain. The demonstration by around 1,000 participants was guarded by a large contingent of police.

Controversy over demonstration authorisation

The fact that the city of Zurich had authorised this demonstration led to differences with the cantonal security director Mario Fehr earlier this week. He described the city’s authorisation as negligent and dangerous. He said that chanting hate slogans had nothing to do with freedom of expression.

The Zurich city government takes the stance that it never assesses applications for demonstrations according to their political content, but solely according to the question of whether security can be guaranteed and the law is observed.

The city of Bern has chosen a more restrictive approach. It decided this week that no more large demonstrations will be permitted in the city centre from 17 November until Christmas.

In Geneva, around 2,000 people demonstrated in support of Palestinians. Numerous Palestinian flags flew through the streets as far as the Place des Nations, behind a banner calling for an “end to the genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

‘Cassis should resign’

The speakers called for pressure to be put on the federal authorities: “Switzerland has a duty as a member of the UN Security Council and as the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions to call for an immediate ceasefire,” said one of them. “Cassis, resign!” chanted the crowd.

The placards at the demonstration read: “Cassis as accomplice”, “Bern must stop military cooperation with Israel”, “Free Palestine, Free Gaza”, “4,500 children killed in 33 days” and “Palestine, no peace without justice”. “Stop the massacre of the Palestinian people” and “Israel as a murderer, Switzerland as an accomplice”, shouted the demonstrators.

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