Unauthorised protests in Zurich and Basel turn into clashes with police in Switzerland
On the evening of Saturday, 31 October, several hundred people joined unauthorised protests in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Basel. In Zurich, demonstrators clashed with police, who used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets.
Several hundred people took to the streets of Switzerland's cities Zurich and Basel on the evening of Saturday, 31 October, in unauthorised protests under the French-language slogan "On en a marre – en Suisse aussi" ("We're fed up – in Switzerland too"). In Zurich the demonstration escalated into clashes with police, who used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets. The Swiss protests took place on the same day as mass demonstrations in several other European countries.
Zurich
At around 22:30, hundreds of people gathered in the city centre, some wearing Halloween masks. The crowd then moved towards Helvetiaplatz to the sound of fireworks and flares. There the situation worsened: participants damaged a bus-stop shelter and set fire to a barricade made of rubbish bins, bicycles and other items.
According to the municipal police, small groups set rubbish bins on fire in various parts of the city. A car was also set alight and the windows of several shops were damaged. Police said demonstrators repeatedly threw fireworks, bottles and stones at officers. The clashes lasted until about 01:30.
Police also reported an attack on a patrol that had arrived in response to a call for medical assistance. The police vehicle was damaged and the officers had to withdraw without helping a teenager who had suffered serious leg injuries in a road accident.
Basel
At around 21:00, about 150 people gathered in the city centre of Basel. After several speeches, participants walked across the Mittlere Rheinbrücke bridge to the historic centre and then headed towards the St. Johann district. There some demonstrators set fire to barricades made of rubbish bins and metal fences, and police intervened.
Other countries
On the same day, mass protests against the rising cost of living, social inequality and declining public services took place in Paris, Marseille and other French cities. In Germany, tens of thousands of people took to the streets demanding better education and lower living costs; in Frankfurt, masked unidentified people looted at least two shops. In the Portuguese capital Lisbon, police dispersed a tent camp on Rossio Square set up by participants in a mass protest against a rental housing bill.
