The demonstration in Zurich on Monday came despite a ban on major public rallies and follows a wave of sometimes violent protests in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Iran.
The protesters carried banners saying Black Lives Matter, Silence is Violence or Stop Police Brutality referring to the death of a 46-year old George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in the city of Minneapolis a week ago.
Observers estimate up to 2,000 people took part in the protest in Zurich, while police put the figure at “several hundred”, according to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The march through the city passed off peacefully with police standing by and calling on participants to leave, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper reported.
The number of protesters clearly exceeded the limit of 300 people set by the government since last Saturday to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rallies in Geneva and Bern
About 400 people gathered for a vigil in a public park in the Swiss capital, Bern on Monday, but police did not intervene according to local media.
However, a protest with about 30 participants in the city of Geneva on Monday was broken up by security forces, according to Keystone-SDA.
Police have been criticised for interfering heavy-handedly during anti-government protests in several Swiss cities over the past few weeks.
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Demographics
2019 data shows racism on the rise in Switzerland
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Switzerland documented a record 352 cases of discrimination in 2019, reflecting an increase in racist and far-right actions.
US says Switzerland can order fewer fighter jets amid cost hike
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According to the American authorities, a possible reduction in the number of F-35 fighter jets ordered by Switzerland is possible to cushion the unexpected cost increase.
On wolves, ‘priority should be given to scare shots’, says expert
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Wolf expert Jean-Marc Landry believes that Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti's decision to rely entirely on shooting is short-sighted.
A thousand demonstrators in Swiss capital demand climate justice
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The climate crisis is exacerbating injustice around the world, and the current economic system benefits from colonial and patriarchal oppression, said one of the speakers.
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According to Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister, the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace "shows how unstable the situation in Europe is."
E-cars account for 10.5% of new registrations in the canton of Zug
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Nowhere else in Switzerland are electric cars as popular as in Zug. Currently, 10.5 per cent of cars registered in the canton of Zug are purely electric, as new data from the online platform Energie Reporter and Energie Schweiz and Geoimpact show.
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Racial discrimination prevalent at work and school
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Swiss counselling centres have reported 278 cases of discrimination based on colour, ethnicity and religion last year – down 10% on 2017.
Majority of population see racism as key social problem
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Almost 60% of the Swiss population consider racism an important social problem, a poll by the Federal Statistical Office has found.
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Those who dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes during carnival celebrations in canton Schwyz not guilty of racism, local justice officials say.
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Two tragic shootings in the US have left the Swiss media perplexed and asking – why is the US paralysed when it comes to protecting its citizens?
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