The city of Bern has submitted an application to the Bern canton police so that the costs incurred in the unauthorized corona demonstrations can be transferred to certain demo participants. From the point of view of the city, the conditions for this have been met.
“We have submitted a request to the Bern cantonal police for this cost transfer,” said the Bern security director Reto Nause on Friday opposite the SRF radio program Regional Diagonal. The city is currently waiting for all the data that is necessary. As soon as the data has arrived, the city will be able to order such cost transfers.
Skeptic demo in Bern: Here the police encircle the demonstrators at the train station(00:30)
Up to 30,000 francs can be billed
The economic damage that occurs in the city of Bern every Thursday because of opponents of the Corona measures is enormous – as is the effort that the police have to make, said Nause. The past rallies were unauthorized and degenerated into violence. This means that the prerequisites are in place to be able to transfer the costs.
The new cantonal police law, which has been in force since June 2020, provides for the possibility of passing on costs to demonstrators. The municipalities can therefore charge the organizer and the violent demonstrators costs of up to CHF 10,000, in particularly serious cases up to CHF 30,000.
Water cannons, rubber bullets and irritant gas
Every unauthorized Corona demo in Bern causes police costs in the order of 100,000 to 200,000 francs. Because in order to guarantee public safety, the Bern police always have a large contingent with several hundred police officers on duty.
Video shows details: Here demonstrators shake the Federal Palace bars(00:30)
Violence broke out several times during the demonstrations. The police repeatedly used water cannons, rubber bullets and irritant gas against the demonstrators. With one exception, the last rallies were all unapproved. (SDA)