NGOs consider the anti-chaotic initiative illegal: Amnesty is threatening legal action if it is accepted

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Protesters in Zurich must no longer be a burden on taxpayers and must bear the costs of police operations themselves. This is what the Young SVP of Zurich is demanding with her anti-chaotic initiative, which Zurich voters will vote on on March 3. In addition, demonstrations and gatherings in general should require approval.

Various NGOs have now commented on the initiative: They consider the initiative illegal. The right to peaceful assembly is protected, Patrick Walder (57) of Amnesty told the media on Tuesday. The co-chair of Operation Libero, Sanija Ameti (31), declared freedom of assembly as a right. This is especially important for young people and foreigners: they have no opportunity to cast their vote at the ballot box.

Could end up in court

If the initiative is accepted, Amnesty threatens to become serious: they would investigate individual cases and take them to court if necessary, Walder said. He bases this on a legal analysis by Amnesty. This shows that a general permit requirement for demonstrations is contrary to both international law and the federal constitution.

Markus Husmann of the Democratic Lawyers of Switzerland shares this assessment: The initiative attacks politics at its core. Matthias Mahlmann (58), professor of public law at the University of Zurich, is also calling for an ’emerging no’.

It would be expensive for the protesters

The SP, Reasons and Alternative List (AL) of Zurich are opponents of the initiative. The fact that demonstrators will have to bear the costs of police operations themselves in the future is a thorn in their side. According to AL, this leads to a ‘chilling effect’: the impending costs would cause the population to shy away from rallies.

An understandable fear: such large-scale police operations are expensive for the cantons. According to the NZZ, police costs for a week-long Extinction Rebellion campaign in October 2021 amounted to R700,000. But it is not only in Zurich that taxpayers have to step into the breach: a major operation by the Basel cantonal police because of two demonstrations on October 21 cost no less than 435,000 francs. The Grand Council recently announced this to the Basler Zeitung. (zac)

Source:Blick