Unauthorised Swiss demo by Kurds for Afrin ends in chaos
On Saturday, several hundred people gathered in the Swiss capital Bern to express their solidarity with the Syrian region of Afrin under Turkish control. The police had to intervene after demonstrators indulged in acts of vandalism.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ac
Around 400 demonstrators responded to the call of leftist factions to protest against the Turkish intervention in Afrin in northwestern Syria. They were also protesting against Swiss arms exports that they felt was fuelling wars all over the world.
After marching from the train station to the parliament square and back, the parade was surrounded by police near the Church of the Holy Spirit. The demonstrators, equipped with torches and pyrotechnic devices, started spraying building facades and causing damage. They then lit a fire and danced to Kurdish music.
The protesters ignored orders from the police to stop destructive behaviour leading to arrests. Rubber bullets were used and several people were taken to the police station. Public transport was severely disrupted and the police were busy into the evening, with smaller spontaneous demonstrations reported in several parts of the city. The details of a total of 239 protesters – 63 women, 136 men and 40 minors – were taken by the police. The damage to property amounted to hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs.
This is not the first time protests by Kurds in Switzerland ended in violence. In February 2016, activists threw stones, flags and other projectiles at the Turkish consulate building in Zurich.
More
More
Over 1,000 Kurds march in protest from Lausanne to Geneva
This content was published on
Around 1,200 Kurds began a protest march in Lausanne on Monday against the Turkish bombing of Afrine, a Kurdish enclave in Syria.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
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.
Read more
More
Zurich police intervene in Kurdish rally
This content was published on
The group was protesting outside the Turkish consulate in Zurich against current conditions for Kurds in Turkey. Police said one person was detained after the crowd threw stones, flags and other projectiles at the consulate building. Police sealed off the area around the consulate in the late afternoon following a peaceful march through Zurich’s downtown…
Over 1,000 Kurds march in protest from Lausanne to Geneva
This content was published on
Around 1,200 Kurds began a protest march in Lausanne on Monday against the Turkish bombing of Afrine, a Kurdish enclave in Syria.
This content was published on
Representatives of both sides in Switzerland say they live peacefully together – as long as there is no mention of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). “You are not going to write what I tell you anyway,” Turgut Dagci, a project manager for…
Geneva voices concerns over Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurds
This content was published on
In a statement released on WednesdayExternal link, the city of Geneva authorities said they were concerned by Turkey’s “non-respect of basic Geneva Convention principles” since its aerial bombing operation – now in its fifth day – particularly against the Rubar refugee camp, which is home to 20,000 people. The Swiss foreign affairs ministry has not…
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.