In Zurich, Switzerland, on the night of 1 November, a mass demonstration turned into riots involving cars being set alight, street barricades and attacks on law enforcement officers. Several hundred people gathered in the city centre during the Halloween celebrations, some of them wearing masks and costumes. Subsequently, participants began setting fire to rubbish bins, bicycles and electric scooters, and pelting police officers with stones and fireworks. To restore order, the police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. Disturbances were also reported in Basel.
- In Zurich, a night-time demonstration escalated into large-scale riots.
- The protesters set fire to the barricades, electric scooters and a car.
- The police were pelted with stones, bottles and fireworks.
- Law enforcement officers used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
- There were also arson attacks and clashes in Basel.
In Zurich, protesters blocked the streets and set fire to barricades
According to a statement from the Zurich City Police, on the evening of 31 October at around 10.30 pm, several hundred people gathered near Piazza Chella on Langstrasse. Some of the participants were wearing Halloween costumes, whilst others concealed their faces with masks or wore protective goggles.
At around 11.00 pm, the crowd set off towards Helvetiaplatz. At the junction of Langstraße and Stauffacherstraße, demonstrators began dragging rubbish bins onto the road and setting them alight.
The police used water cannons, after which the crowd split into several groups, which continued marching along the surrounding streets.
The unrest quickly spread to other parts of the city’s fourth district. Participants set fire to electric bikes, electric scooters and rubbish bins.
On Zwingli Strasse, criminals set fire to a car. The windows of the Stauffacher tram stop and several shops near Helvetiaplatz were also damaged.
Police officers were pelted with stones, bottles and fireworks
According to law enforcement officials, aggressive protesters repeatedly attacked police units. Stones, glass bottles and fireworks were thrown at police officers.
To hold back the attackers, the police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
Professional fire crews from the Zurich Rescue Service were called in to tackle the fires.
A particularly dangerous incident occurred shortly after midnight on Brauerstraße. A police patrol arrived at the scene in response to a call reporting that a teenager required medical assistance after sustaining serious leg injuries in an accident. However, a group of rioters attacked the officers and damaged their patrol car. The police were forced to temporarily withdraw, which delayed the provision of assistance to the victim.
At around 01:30, the situation in Zurich began to stabilise.
According to the police, the exact amount of financial loss has not yet been determined. The police have launched an investigation.
Who organised the demonstration on Halloween?
The Swiss public broadcaster SRF reports that radical left-wing groups called for the protest.
In the run-up to this, calls to take to the streets were circulating on social media against the backdrop of the youth protests that have been taking place in France and other European countries in recent weeks.
Participants in the Swiss protests used the slogan «We’ve had enough too», expressing their dissatisfaction with the socio-political situation. At the same time, the organisers’ specific demands in Zurich remained vague. As SRF notes, there were almost no placards at the demonstration explaining its purpose.
It is important to note that the event was not a routine festive march that unexpectedly turned violent. Calls for protests had already been made before the evening of 31 October, and some of the participants took advantage of the large crowds on the streets during Halloween.
The unrest has also spread to Basel
That very evening, an unauthorised demonstration took place in Basel, Switzerland.
According to the local police, around 150 people gathered at 9.00 pm at Klaraplatz, after which they set off along the city’s main streets. The procession crossed the Mittlere Brücke, passed through Marktplatz and headed towards the St Johann district.
On St Johann Square, the protesters built barricades out of various objects and set them alight.
Due to road closures, public transport services had to be temporarily suspended. There were also disruptions to private vehicle traffic.
Following the police intervention, the demonstrators scattered into a nearby park, whilst the fire brigade put out the barricades. The police also reported isolated incidents of damage to property along the route of the demonstration.
Youth protests are spreading across Europe
The events in Switzerland took place against a backdrop of protests in other European countries. In particular, in France In recent weeks, there have been youth demonstrations, some of which have been accompanied by clashes with the police.
The organisers of the Swiss protests referred to these events in their calls on social media. The similarity of the slogans and methods of mobilisation does not prove the existence of a single organisational centre for the protests across different countries.
The Zurich police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the arson attacks, damage to property and assaults on law enforcement officers. As of the morning of 1 November, the total amount of damage and the final number of people involved in the violence had not been announced.
