A large-scale meeting of international anarchists in Switzerland has disrupted the smooth running of the rail schedule by forcing the cancellation of several trains.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The sprawling five-day event involving thousands of anarchists has centered on the Swiss town of St Imier, but some participants have decided to camp too close for comfort to the railway tracks.
At first, trains were ordered to cut their speed on Saturday morning. But the service between La-Chaux-de-Fonds and St Imier was later completely cut.
A replacement bus service has been laid on, but the Watson news portal reports calls from some anarchists for up to CHF60,000 ($70,000) in compensation for the inconvenience.
The Swiss authorities told Watson that a decision on the matter would have to wait until the anarchist event ends after the weekend.
The anarchists’ gathering marks the 150th anniversary of the Congress of St-Imier which, in 1872, saw the foundation of the Anti-Authoritarian International movement.
The event includes 268 lectures and workshops, 48 concerts, 42 screenings, 11 theatrical performances, seven exhibitions and a book fair, according to the association “150 Years Saint-Imier Congress”.
More
More
Anarchism still inspires
This content was published on
Anarchism has “largely taken the place of Marxism in the social movements of the 1960s”, according to the American anthropologist David Graeber, one of the intellectuals most quoted by the Occupy movement. “Even those who do not consider themselves anarchists feel they have to define themselves in relation to it,” he wrote. That may be…
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
International anarchist gathering gets under way in Switzerland
This content was published on
A gathering of anarchists from all over the world has begun in the western Swiss town of St. Imier, birthplace of the organized anarchist movement.
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.