Swiss left-wing extremist groups called for protests and violence

Unlicensed demonstrations in Basel and Zurich were followed by property damage and clashes with police, mainly in Zurich, overnight into Sunday. Left-wing extremist groups had called for the protests and violence, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

SRF extremism editor Daniel Glaus said the scene includes anarchists, communists, Maoists and anti-fascist groups, as well as pro-Palestinian groups that have emerged over the past three years. Views on violence differ: some groups and individuals reject it, while others are prepared to use it.

Different groups, shared aims

Glaus said these groups promote a vision of a more equal society, with equal opportunities and gender equality, and seek to dismantle existing systems of power. Their stated goals include ending patriarchal structures and ensuring people can live without violence.

But groups also create adversaries, including the state, police, businesses and the middle class. Some see themselves as already fighting these perceived enemies, Glaus said. Their ultimate aim, he added, is to overthrow the current system.

International protests have encouraged some left-wing extremists in Switzerland by making them feel that a movement for the change they seek is growing, Glaus said. He does not believe Switzerland is close to such an upheaval, but said hard-line activists appear encouraged and are trying to join the momentum. They interpret events such as wars, economic crises and protests abroad through their own ideology, he said.

Juso says it is not involved

The Juso, the SP’s youth party, plans nationwide protests on November 20 under the name Youth Strike Day. Its president, Mirjam Hostetmann, told SRF that the party had “nothing to do” with the recent violence in Zurich, saying other groups organised the protest and that the Juso had no relationship with them.

Hostetmann said the party’s planned demonstrations were intended to be peaceful. The Juso would work to establish clear rules and principles, she said, and applications to hold permitted protests had already been filed in several cities.

Violence figures

Figures from the Federal Intelligence Service show that recorded left-wing extremist violence has been several times higher than right-wing extremist violence in recent years. From 2017 to 2025, the service counted between 53 and 115 violent acts by left-wing extremists each year, compared with between zero and five by right-wing extremists. The figures do not specify the types of acts.