Hundreds gather at unauthorised Bern protest on anniversary of violence

Several hundred people gathered for an unauthorised demonstration in Bern on Sunday, one year after a Gaza protest in the city escalated into violence, SRF reported.

Demonstrators assembled at the Rosengarten in the afternoon. Young people, many wearing keffiyehs, or Palestinian scarves, mingled with families and tourists, according to a Keystone-SDA correspondent. They chanted, “Free, free Palestine.” Police were present in large numbers.

The organisers, whose identities were unknown, had announced several gathering points. In posts on Telegram, they said they wanted to avoid a confrontational protest.

The demonstration was broadly directed against capitalism and imperialism. Protesters called for an end to military occupations and state repression, protection for Indigenous peoples, and the return of their historic land rights and self-determination.

The protest was held on the anniversary of a Gaza demonstration in 2025 that got out of control. Police officers and demonstrators were injured during hours of violence in the city centre, and extensive property damage was caused.