Thousands of people took to the streets in the Swiss capital Bern to protest about climate change and call for politicians to do more. swissinfo.ch was there.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/Keystone-SDA/sm/ilj
According to organisers, around 8,000 people demonstrated in the city on Friday, part of a huge coordinated climate strike by students across Switzerland and the globe.
Our reporter Susan Misicka was there as the official event was taking place. “I was waiting for them to appear in the distance. I heard them long before I saw them and it was an amazing sound! And then to see the thousands coming across the bridge leading into the old town was impressive. They still had lots of energy!” she said.
Many young people had cut school to attend the march. Some demonstrators carried banners.
Here are some young climate strikers on why the event was important for them.
Speeches called on politicians from all parties to do more about climate change. “We are in a climate emergency,” said one speaker. Another said that strikers were driven by a mix of anger and hope – and would keep going “until something changed”.
This can start with changing your own behaviour, these demonstrators said.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Switzerland faces income losses from US tariffs, says ETH Zurich
This content was published on
Compared to Germany and France, Switzerland would face “significantly higher losses,” says ETH Zurich’s Centre for Economic Research (KOF).
Christian Oppliger named new head of the Swiss Air Force
This content was published on
Christian Oppliger has been named the new head of the Swiss Air Force, starting on October 1. He succeeds Peter Merz, who will become CEO of Skyguide.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF6 million for earthquake victims in Myanmar and Thailand
This content was published on
The earthquake in March caused severe destruction, especially in Myanmar, where the humanitarian situation is already dire, according to Swiss Solidarity.
This content was published on
On Wednesday, the Swiss government named Ambassador Gabriel Lüchinger to the role, amid the ongoing trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump.
Switzerland to cut UN development aid by CHF13 million
This content was published on
The reduction in contributions is due to the cuts to the 2025 budget for international cooperation, which were decided by Parliament last December.
Swiss parliamentary committee seeks extra billion for army ammunition
This content was published on
A committee of the Swiss House of Representatives wants to swiftly acquire ammunition for its ground-based air defence and other systems.
Nestlé Waters scandal: Élysée Palace ‘knew of misconduct’
This content was published on
An inquiry revealed that the French presidency granted Swiss company Nestlé Waters access to ministries despite knowing about their misconduct.
This content was published on
The Swiss are participating in an open test of the new electronic identity card. This will eventually lead to a state-recognised e-ID.
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.