Protesters march against war

Thousands of people marched though Bern to protest against the war in Iraq swissinfo.ch

At least 30,000 people have demonstrated against the war in Iraq in the Swiss capital Bern, after a series of smaller protests in other cities this week.

The Swiss demonstration on Saturday was part of a worldwide protest movement against the latest Gulf conflict.

This was the second national anti-war protest to take place in Bern. A demonstration on February 15 brought together 40,000 people from all walks of life in one of the biggest protest marches ever seen in Switzerland.

The demonstration was held under the slogan “No blood for petrol.” The National Coalition against War, which includes leftwing political parties, unions and aid associations, organised the event.

As they marched through the city, protesters called President Bush and the British prime minister, Tony Blair, “killers of the Iraqi people”, demanding an end to hostilities.

One demonstrator told swissinfo the march was the only way for her to express her feelings about the war. Another said he was protesting because the United States and Britain had no brief from the United Nations to send their troops into action.

Yet another marcher said it was time to send a signal to the American government. “We hope that US politicians will see that many people do not agree with their policies,” he told swissinfo.

End to war

The organisers called for an immediate ceasefire, the termination of the international embargo against Iraq and the end of weapons’ sales to all parties involved in the war.

They also demanded that the Swiss government clarify its position regarding the war, adding that Switzerland should not offer any help.

“They should stop any cooperation,” Nico Lutz, one of the organisers, told swissinfo. “They should also ban any use of Swiss airspace.”

Lutz said the current Swiss position was too close to “business as usual”.

Speakers at the end of the march warned that the coalition attack against Iraq would only lead to more suffering, as well as further violence and hatred.

Rita Schiavi, of the Building and Industry Union, said that the US had launched a military campaign that was both illegal and lacking legitimacy.

“We are shocked and angry, but we haven’t given up all hope,” she added.

Minor incidents

There were some minor incidents during the protest, as some demonstrators and police squared off in front of parliament.

Police fought with at least 200 hooded members of the so-called “Black Block”, a group from Zurich with a previous history of violent clashes with the authorities. Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired.

Around 1,000 demonstrators also marched to the American and British embassies after the rally, spraying walls with graffiti, smashing windows and damaging parked cars.

The total cost for the damage is believed to be around SFr200,000 ($143,000).

Earlier this week, tens of thousands of students took to the streets of Switzerland to voice their opposition to the US-led war.

Around 40,000 students joined protests in cities such as Zurich, Bern and Geneva on Thursday to demand the withdrawal of US and coalition troops from the region.

Bern saw the biggest protests with around 10,000 people taking part.

swissinfo, Karin Kamp and Scott Capper