Clashes in Switzerland at political rally

[struggle4progress]

Source: EuroNews

There have been clashes in Switzerland between police and leftist activists who were protesting against an election rally by the right wing Swiss People's Party. Police moved in to clear demonstrators after they blocked the square outside the parliament in Berne where the rally was to be held.

With two weeks to the election, the Swiss People's Party is leading the polls by around four percent. Leader Christoph Blocher lashed out at the protestors as aggressors who could not tolerate the views of others. His party's campaign has featured a poster portraying foreigners as black sheep being kicked out of the country by white sheep ...

Read more: http://euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=446834&lng=1

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Violence at Swiss pre-poll rally
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/media/images/44161000/jpg/_44161198_protest_ap_203b.jpg
... The disorder comes two weeks before the country's .. parliamentary elections. Recent polls have forecast the SVP to emerge as the largest vote-winner.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7032021.stm

Swiss leftists' protest disrupts nationalist rally
Updated Sat. Oct. 6 2007 1:48 PM ET
The Associated Press
... Police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters and made several arrests. Injuries have been reported. The violence prevented .. supporters of the People's Party from marching through Bern to a square in front of parliament. Left-wing groups had called for protests against the rally, coming two weeks before .. parliamentary elections ...
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071006/swiss_protest_071006/20071006?hub=World

October 6, 2007 - 6:25 PM
Pre-election rally marred by violence
... The mayor of Bern, Alexander Tschäppät, also condemned the violence. He said it was extremely frustrating to see that it is apparently not possible to stage peaceful demonstrations. "Freedom of speech is a central pillar of our democracy. We will not allow any group of whatever political leaning to destroy democracy," said Tschäppät, who is a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party. The local authorities had come in for criticism for banning a protest by leftwing groups, but allowing the People's Party demonstration ...
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Pre_election_rally_marred_by_violence.html?siteSect=105&sid=8288542&cKey=1191688865000&ty=st

Extreme-left groups stage violent protest in Swiss capital
The Associated Press
Published: October 6, 2007
... A separate "Festival against Racism" attended by up to 3,000 people in Bern passed peacefully ...
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/06/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Violent-Protest.php

Swiss police, protesters clash at election rally
Sat Oct 6, 2007 4:21pm BST
... The clashes occurred when hundreds of demonstrators sought to interrupt an estimated 5,000-strong march organised by the right-wing Switzerland's People's Party (SVP/UDC) through the streets of Berne, a Reuters photographer on the scene said. The SVP .. is poised to be the largest vote-winner in the Oct. 21 national vote. Its campaign has sparked criticism from human rights officials at the United Nations, whose European headquarters is in Geneva, and polarised the normally staid Swiss electorate ...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKL0644462320071006