Large unauthorised rally held against Covid restrictions
Maskless demonstrators gather in Rapperswil-Jona
Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller
Some 4,000 people have gathered at an illegal demonstration in Rapperswil-Jona, northeastern Switzerland, protesting against Covid-19 restrictions. The police didn’t break up the peaceful rally, citing proportionality.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
The central Fischmarktplatz was packed with people and practically no one wore a protective face mask, according to the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA.
The St Gallen cantonal police said they had spoken to small groups of people and issued more than 45 orders for people to leave. They also turned away a bus full of demonstrators.
“Freedom!”
Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller
Police spokesman Hanspeter Krüsi defended the lack of forceful intervention by saying officers had had to weigh up various factors. In addition to the disregard of the demonstration ban, they also had to take into account the possibility of serious property damage and injury, as well as losing control of the situation.
The police would be criticised no matter what they did, he added.
More than 9,900 people in Switzerland have died in connection with Covid-19.
More
More
Police break up unauthorised Covid demonstration in central Swiss town
This content was published on
Officers fired teargas at protestors in Altdorf on Saturday, as other cities remained mostly calm despite calls for large protests this weekend.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
Sharp hike in number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland
This content was published on
In 2022, there were close to 91,000 protected historic monuments in Switzerland, 21% more than in 2016, said the Federal Statistical Office.
Switzerland adopts further EU sanctions against Russia
This content was published on
Switzerland has added several dozen names to its list of sanctioned persons or entities from Russia after adopting the amendments made by the European Union.
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.