More than 10,000 people attend anti-racism march in Geneva
The march in Geneva on Tuesday evening coincided with the funeral of George Floyd, an African American who was killed as a result of police violence in the United States last month.
Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi
A crowd took to the streets of the city of Geneva on Tuesday in protest at racial discrimination – the largest such rally in Switzerland so far.
The rally coincided with the funeral of George Floyd, an African American who died at the hands of a white police officer in the United States last month.
The crowd in Geneva, estimated at 10,000-12,000 people by the Swiss news agency, Keystone-SDA, carried banners including “Silence is no longer an option”, “Racism is also a pandemic” and “I can’t breathe”, Floyd’s final words.
External Content
Taking a knee in solidarity on the Mont Blanc Bridge in Geneva.
Listening, learning and supporting Black Lives Matter, not just for today, or this month, but until the world is free from structural racism and discrimination. pic.twitter.com/KtzKSaxP5BExternal link
Racism is also “very present in Switzerland, it is not only an American issue”, according to Ruth Noemie from the organising group, quoted by Reuters television.
Participants formed groups of 300 people to respect the restrictions on public gatherings introduced by the government to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Police said the protest passed off peacefully.
Demonstrations have taken place in several Swiss cities and towns over the past few weeks, including Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and the capital, Bern. Further marches are scheduled next weekend in Bern.
More
More
‘People of colour always have to look over their shoulder’
This content was published on
Wilson A., a Nigerian-born naturalised Swiss citizen, shares his experiences with racism and the police in Switzerland.
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
This content was published on
The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
This content was published on
More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
This content was published on
Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
This content was published on
One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
This content was published on
At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
This content was published on
Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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.
Read more
More
Is racism a problem in Switzerland? A look at the latest numbers
This content was published on
When it comes to racial discrimination, the situation in Switzerland is hardly comparable to that of the United States. But some issues persist.
This content was published on
Demonstrations denouncing police violence and racism took place in several cities on Saturday, including a 5,000-strong gathering in Basel.
Swiss torture rapporteur denounces US ‘racial terror’
This content was published on
The UN’s special rapporteur on torture, Nils Melzer, has called for independent investigations into excessive force used by police against Afro-Americans.
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.