Zurich parties condemn riot violence and demand action

Political parties in Zurich have condemned the violence during a Halloween-night protest and called on authorities to respond. In a report by Swiss public broadcaster SRF, the parties voiced concern over the damage and questioned how the unrest was handled.

The Social Democratic Party’s Zurich branch condemned the violence and destruction “in the strongest terms”. Its president, Oliver Heimgartner, said the participants had apparently been concerned only with property damage and confrontation, adding that such conduct had no place in Zurich.

Eticus Rozas, co-president of the Zurich branch of the Green Party, told the Keystone-SDA news agency that his party condemned senseless violence. He said he was troubled that a small group had used youth protests in Europe, which also make legitimate demands, as a pretext for violence.

The Zurich branch of the Swiss People’s Party said it was shocked by the scale of the violence and property damage. It accused security forces of acting too defensively and giving left-wing rioters too much room. The party called for more city police officers. On X, Swiss People’s Party national councillor Nina Fehr Düsel said the city executive should explain why the unrest had not been stopped earlier despite warning signs.

Several hundred people wearing Halloween masks gathered for an unauthorised protest in Zurich late on Saturday. Participants set fire to road barricades and a car, and attacked emergency responders with fireworks, bottles and stones. Police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. Riots also broke out in Basel and Bern.

Zurich City Police spokeswoman Judith Hödl said an officer was taken to hospital overnight with suspected smoke inhalation but was later discharged. It remains unclear whether an injured teenager was among the rioters.