Bern braces for another unauthorised protest after last year’s violence

Police and businesses in Bern are preparing for a potentially tense weekend as left-wing radical groups call for an unauthorised protest on Sunday, the anniversary of a demonstration that turned violent last year, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

The damage at Restaurant Della Casa, a restaurant in central Bern, was only recently repaired. Demonstrators set fire to tables and chairs outside last October, nearly setting the 500-year-old building alight. Owner Tobias Burkhalter said he had to hire several tradespeople to make repairs. Staff were trapped inside during the unrest.

Burkhalter said he was relieved the protest was called for a Sunday, when the restaurant would have no guests or staff, but remained worried about further damage. Bern’s security director, Alec von Graffenried, said the protest was not authorised and officials did not know exactly what to expect. Police were prepared and would work to prevent an escalation, he said.

Police detained and checked 536 people during last year’s demonstration. Using video footage, they have since identified 101 people suspected of offences. Complaints have been filed against 75, including for breach of the peace, property damage and bodily harm. No verdicts have been issued. Most of those identified were Swiss men aged 16 to 65. Amnesty International criticised the police response, saying in a report that officers had used force unjustifiably and disproportionately.

The unrest also prompted political changes. Switzerland’s two parliamentary chambers recently approved extending the maximum period for provisional detention from 24 to 48 hours and allowing organisers to be held liable for property damage. Bern cantonal parliamentarian Oriana Pardini of the Social Democratic Party said tougher laws would not automatically improve safety and warned against treating all demonstrators with suspicion. Milena Daphinoff, a cantonal parliamentarian for the Centre Party and president of business association BernCity, said shops and restaurants remained insufficiently protected from damage. The cantonal parliament rejected a proposal for a hardship fund.