Thousands demonstrate in Bern for Palestine – police lead away several people Homeless in Germany died of stab wounds – young people in custody

More than a thousand demonstrators showed solidarity with the population in the Palestinian territories in Bern on Saturday. The Palestinian Group Bern called for the approved demonstration in front of the Federal Palace.

“We demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the genocide,” said a call on social media. The siege must end.

Palestinian flags were waved. Hand-painted banners featured slogans such as ‘Stop War’ and ‘Free Palestine’. “Do human rights also apply to Palestinians?” was the question on another banner.

Scores of police officers watched the event, some of them in riot gear, a correspondent for the Keystone-SDA news agency reported. There were occasional heated discussions on the sidelines of the rally.

Police officers led away several people who were on the edge of Bundesplatz. The background was initially unclear.

“Abolish apartheid”

In his speech, former Green National Councilor Geri Müller said that the background to all the violence was ‘apartheid’ and that it should be abolished. The president of the Switzerland-Palestine Society rejected charges that the controversial slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” was anti-Semitic.

This simply means that Palestinians can live in freedom in the area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The accusation of anti-Semitism is made to silence critics.

There were also meetings on the conflict in the Middle East in other Swiss cities on Saturday. Last weekend, Bern, Zurich and Basel did not allow demonstrations in the Middle East. They justified this with concerns about personal injury and property damage. (dabbing/sda)