- In view of the tense security situation in the wake of the war in the Middle East, several cities have imposed bans on demonstrations.
- No demonstrations related to the Middle East conflict are allowed in Zurich this week.
- Basel and Bern generally ban rallies next weekend.
The ban therefore also applies to a demonstration by anti-Corona measures planned for Saturday in Basel, as a cantonal police spokesman confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
A trinational rally was planned under the name “Demo for Peace, Freedom and Sovereignty”, which was initially approved. At the same time, anti-fascist groups called for a counter-demonstration.
Legend:
A police officer at a demonstration on the Zurich Quai Bridge (06/20/20)
KEYSTONE/Gaetan Bally
Seven requests for demonstrations related to the Middle East conflict have been received in Zurich this week, a spokesman for the security department told Keystone-SDA.
The general order banning demonstrations applies from Friday 5 p.m. to Sunday midnight. Standing rallies and vigils are then also prohibited, as the police write.
She estimates the “probability of personal injury and property damage during rallies to be very high.” The risk is therefore too great for both demonstrators and passers-by, police and rescue workers, according to the announcements from the city of Zurich and the canton of Basel-Stadt.
Bern is at the limit
No rallies will be permitted in Bern next weekend either. A request for a demonstration has already been rejected, says Bern city security director Reto Nause. “We have a high-risk football game, the light show on the Bundesplatz is celebrating its premiere and we have election Sunday that we have to deal with. That’s why no further rallies are possible.”
The decision of the three cities shows that the security authorities are nervous. In Bern you can currently see more police patrols in the embassy quarters. Nause confirms that the embassies of certain countries need increased protection. However, he does not provide any details about this.
Deteriorated security situation
It’s not just embassies and residences that are at risk. The recent wave of violence in the Middle East, triggered by the Hamas terrorist attack, is also worsening the security situation of Jewish and partly Muslim communities and institutions.
When asked, the federal intelligence service wrote: The outbreak of violence could also affect Jewish and Israeli interests in Switzerland.
Even if the authorities in the cities and the intelligence service consider the threat situation to be increased, they repeatedly emphasize that there is no concrete knowledge of attack plans.