Anarchic tendencies in the idyllic Valais mountains. The focus: the brothers Patrik and Ivan Aufdenblatten, owners of the traditional Walliserkanne restaurant on Bahnhofstrasse in Zermatt VS. Patrik Aufdenblatten has now become the most famous representative of the corona and measures skeptics in Upper Valais. The police have closed the restaurant due to violations of corona rules. But guests refused to leave the skeptic bar. At the latest with his furious scolding and ranting against the police in front of the camera, Aufdenblatten also made the national headlines.
As early as mid-October, the skeptical landlord Patrik was raging against the authorities: “Hopefully the corrupt government will be over now,” said Aufdenblatten, according to the “Walliser Bote”. This while the brothers became more and more extreme. There is talk of apartheid comparisons, doom fantasies, anger against the state and politics. They sued the government. And export their “business model”.
As the «Bote der Urschweiz» reports, the landlord of the Hölloch restaurant in Muotathal will rent the place out to the Aufdenblattens for the symbolic amount of one franc per month. They want to run the Hölloch as a “private room”. Up to 30 people are allowed to stay in one. Even without a certificate.
Cat and mouse game with the authorities
This while the Aufdenblattens “dance on the nose” of the authorities in Zermatt, like the “Walliser Bote” further reported. The brothers would play a game of cat and mouse with the police. These – plus the State Council and the Public Prosecutor – seem powerless.
On the late Saturday evening, the Freiheitstrychler finally moved through the Bahnhofsstrasse in Zermatt. Led by Ivan Aufdenblatten and Nicolas Rimoldi, they too with pats on their shoulders. Rimoldi is the head of the “Mass-Voll” movement, which has been protesting against the corona measures for months. Rimoldi posted pictures of the Zermatt protest against the “certificate madness” on Twitter.
The authorities are being fooled. The hustle and bustle in and in front of the Walliserkanne continues. Ivan Aufdenblatten tore a seal that officially closed the restaurant on Friday in front of the police. Despite six huge concrete blocks that had been carted to the door by the police in consultation with the municipality during the night and blocked the entrance, the Walliserkanne was open again on Saturday. First as a bar. Soon the concrete blocks became a memorial: pasted and smeared with dubious statements.
A lucrative day for the hosts. The restaurant and terrace, from which Patrik Aufdenblatten also addressed the crowd with the megaphone, were twice to bursting with guests. They thought just as little of the authority of the police and authorities as did the Aufdenblatten brothers.
Will authorities take action on Sunday?
The police nevertheless tried to mark their presence, attempted to take down the personal details of guests, to turn them away “and to bring the Aufdenblattens to reason,” according to the “Walliser Bote”. It remained with attempts.
The police’s hands were tied. You could have repeated the game many times with the official seal. The State Council or the public prosecutor’s office would have to decide whether to use coercive measures such as arrests. They were absolutely silent.
As far as the peaceful, loud protests of the skeptics remained, while the anarchic tendencies “cast a bad light on the glamorous destination of the Matterhorn”, comments the “Walliser Bote”. Let’s see if the authorities are being fooled on Sunday for the third day. (kes)