Double Gaza demo in Lausanne sees clashes with police
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Double Gaza demo in Lausanne sees clashes with police
Hundreds of people took to the streets in Lausanne on Thursday evening in favour of Israel on the one hand and the Palestinians on the other. During the counter-demonstration to the pro-Israel silent march, there were clashes between pro-Palestine demonstrators and the police.
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The numerous law enforcement officers present had to use tear gas grenades and a water truck, among other things, to push back the pro-Palestinian activists, whose demonstration was not authorised.
The situation came to a head after the demonstration had moved from Place de la Riponne to St-Laurent. Calm returned at around 7:30pm.
According to a count by the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA, more than 2,000 people took part in this counter-demonstration. Waving numerous Palestinian flags, those present loudly chanted their support for the Palestinian people and verbally attacked the “colonial state” of the “Zionists”.
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The Israel sympathisers remained in Ouchy by the lake. More than 200 people took part in the silent march organised by the Swiss-Israeli Association and approved by the Lausanne police. Under police protection, the demonstrators with Israeli and Swiss flags remained in the area of the old harbour and marched behind a banner with the motto of the rally: “For Israel – Against Anti-Semitism”.
At the end of the rally, at around 7:30 pm, the organisers took the floor and demanded the release of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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