A large-scale meeting of international anarchists in Switzerland has disrupted the smooth running of the rail schedule by forcing the cancellation of several trains.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The sprawling five-day event involving thousands of anarchists has centered on the Swiss town of St Imier, but some participants have decided to camp too close for comfort to the railway tracks.
At first, trains were ordered to cut their speed on Saturday morning. But the service between La-Chaux-de-Fonds and St Imier was later completely cut.
A replacement bus service has been laid on, but the Watson news portal reports calls from some anarchists for up to CHF60,000 ($70,000) in compensation for the inconvenience.
The Swiss authorities told Watson that a decision on the matter would have to wait until the anarchist event ends after the weekend.
The anarchists’ gathering marks the 150th anniversary of the Congress of St-Imier which, in 1872, saw the foundation of the Anti-Authoritarian International movement.
The event includes 268 lectures and workshops, 48 concerts, 42 screenings, 11 theatrical performances, seven exhibitions and a book fair, according to the association “150 Years Saint-Imier Congress”.
More
More
Anarchism still inspires
This content was published on
Anarchism has “largely taken the place of Marxism in the social movements of the 1960s”, according to the American anthropologist David Graeber, one of the intellectuals most quoted by the Occupy movement. “Even those who do not consider themselves anarchists feel they have to define themselves in relation to it,” he wrote. That may be…
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?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
This content was published on
Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
This content was published on
Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
This content was published on
The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
This content was published on
Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
This content was published on
Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
International anarchist gathering gets under way in Switzerland
This content was published on
A gathering of anarchists from all over the world has begun in the western Swiss town of St. Imier, birthplace of the organized anarchist movement.
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.