Thun arson attack on B&T prompts calls for tighter security

Politicians and arms-industry representatives have called for stronger security measures after an arson attack on weapons manufacturer B&T in Thun. Bern cantonal police confirmed that the fire was deliberately set, SRF reports.

On October 29, people described as suspected left-wing activists threw incendiary devices at the company’s building. A video of the attack has circulated on social media. B&T says its surveillance cameras captured images matching the footage, but police say nobody has been detained in connection with the incident.

A video claiming responsibility referred to youth protests in France and expressed solidarity with victims of police violence. B&T was targeted because it makes a grenade launcher used by French police during violent demonstrations, the report said.

B&T sells the launcher to police forces in Switzerland, France and Sweden. The company says it was designed for professional use with a non-lethal effect and fires a single plastic projectile. Its management says French police use a substantially cheaper projectile that is less accurate and can tumble in the air, potentially causing serious injuries. B&T believes Swiss police would not use that ammunition.

The company says it had previously experienced paint attacks and threats against members of its management, but saw no warning signs before the arson. It plans to install fire detectors outside its building and use AI-supported cameras to improve surveillance. B&T said other Swiss makers of weapons and ammunition for police or the military were also reviewing their security measures.

The national-conservative association Pro Tell, led by Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian Walter Gartmann, has called for the federal government to establish a support fund for businesses affected by attacks. Swiss People’s Party lawmaker Michael Götte said the arms industry had been taking extra precautions for several years because it was repeatedly targeted by disruptive actions.

Reto Nause, a parliamentarian from the Centre Party and president of Alliance Security Switzerland, said he hoped a revision of the Intelligence Service Act would allow intelligence measures to be used against violent extremism. He said the attack bore the hallmarks of violent left-wing extremism and that France was only a pretext, adding that further pressure on Swiss arms companies could not be ruled out.

Social Democratic Party parliamentarian Andrea Zryd condemned the attack and said she was relieved nobody had been injured. She welcomed police efforts to establish the background and identify those responsible.

According to figures from the weekly newspaper WOZ, which it says are based on data from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, B&T exported weapons and ammunition worth more than 100 million Swiss francs in 2025, making it Switzerland’s fifth-largest arms exporter.