Demonstrators in Swiss cities join Global Climate Strike
Thousands of people in several Swiss cities joined a Global Climate Strike day of protest, just weeks before the COP26 environmental summit.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
They responded to an international appeal from the “Fridays for FutureExternal link” movement, whose activities had been dampened over the last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eight Swiss cities, including Zurich and Geneva, saw demonstrations, with protestors bearing banners with such slogans as: “The Earth is boiling with rage”, “Climate killer # 1 – meat and milk”, “Stop exploitation” and “The planet is burning”.
Politicians will gather in Glasgow, Scotland, in November to hammer out further measures to slow down global warming and environmental degradation.
The Swiss demonstrations, which were mirrored in dozens of other countries, have been allowed by the authorities. But other protests in recent years have been deemed unlawful.
Court cases
This includes the activities of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion in the western Swiss city of Lausanne. Swiss courts have started dealing with a long series of trials of 200 XR activists for acts of civil disobedience in 2019 and 2020.
The first XR activist appeared before a police court in Lausanne on Friday charged with several public order offences.
Some 80 people came to support the 30-year-old accused, including Nobel Prize winner Jacques Dubochet.
The activist’s lawyer has pleaded for acquittal on the basis of the freedom to demonstrate peacefully.
Swiss public broadcaster RTS says the verdict will be delivered on Wednesday.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Climate activists stage sit-in protest in Zurich’s financial heart
This content was published on
Around 200 climate activists blocked the entrances to UBS and Credit Suisse HQs, protesting their investments in fossil fuel projects.
Climate activists found guilty of blocking road in western Switzerland
This content was published on
Fifteen climate activists who blocked a main road in Neuchâtel in western Switzerland in March 2020 have been found guilty and fined.
This content was published on
An estimated 30,000 people have participated in street protests across Switzerland to demand concrete steps to reduce global warming.
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.