Covid protest broken up with water cannon and rubber bullets
Protesters against government anti-Covid measures have been holding unauthorised weekly marches in Bern, several of which have turned violent.
Keystone / Marcel Bieri
Some 500 opponents of government anti-Covid measures held a new unauthorised protest in the federal capital Bern on Thursday evening, with police using water cannon and rubber bullets against demonstrators.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Português
pt
Protestos contra medidas anti-covid terminam em violência em Berna
The demonstrators repeatedly ignored police barricades and broke through one barrier that led to the parliament building, according to the police. There was a strong police presence, with officers checking people even before the march began and some demonstrators expelled from the perimeter.
Some protesters carried a rose in their hands as they marched from the railway station towards the federal parliament building. “We are all peaceful here,” said one demonstrator. “We are part of society and we are not extremists.”
Regular occurrence
Opponents of the Covid restrictions have been holding protests in Bern every Thursday evening for weeks, almost all of which have been unauthorised. Police have used water cannon, rubber bullets and irritant gas against the demonstrators on several occasions. Previous protests have drawn a larger number of demonstrators.
More
More
Rubber bullets fired at Covid protesters in Swiss capital
This content was published on
Police in Bern again used water cannon and rubber bullets against participants in an unauthorised Covid demonstration on Thursday evening.
The government has tightened anti-Covid measures as the health situation remains fragile and winter approaches. A Covid certificate — showing full vaccination, recent negative test or proof of recovery from Covid – has since September 13 been required to access spaces like bars, restaurants and museums, as well as large public events. The government is also ending free testing and launching a vaccination drive.
Swisscom receives greenlight for acquisition of Vodafone Italia
This content was published on
The takeover of Vodafone Italia by Swisscom is nearing completion. All relevant authorities have now approved the €8 billion (CHF7.45 billion) deal.
Novo Nordisk stock market plunge drags down Swiss device maker Ypsomed
This content was published on
The Danish pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk, faced setbacks on Friday that weighed on the share price of Swiss injection device manufacturer Ypsomed.
Swiss press react to EU deal with mix of euphoria and scepticism
This content was published on
Swiss media reaction to the agreement between Switzerland and the EU varies widely. Some are celebrating, while others worry about what is to come.
Swiss Solidarity donations to tackle child abuse top CHF4 million
This content was published on
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), has raised over CHF4 million ($4.3 million) to tackle child abuse.
EU Commission president says Swiss-EU deal is ‘historic’ agreement
This content was published on
At a joint media conference with Swiss President Viola Amherd in Bern, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a "day of joy".
Switzerland and EU reach deal on future bilateral relations
This content was published on
Switzerland and the European Union have announced a political agreement to update their trading relationship after almost a decade of difficult talks.
This content was published on
Police in Bern have used a water cannon, rubber bullets and irritant spray to break up an illegal protest against Covid measures that turned violent.
Swiss government limits access to restaurants to Covid certificate holders
This content was published on
The government has extended the use of the Covid certificate to indoor public spaces such as restaurants, cinemas and fitness centres.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.