Bern riding school criticized after violence on the Schützenmatte
Published: Monday, May 6th 2024, 16:30
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Following the riots in Bern, in which eleven police officers were injured, the Reitschule has once again come under fire. Cantonal security director Philippe Müller (FDP) called on the city on Monday to finally take measures to curb the violence around the meeting center.
He accused the rioters of "senseless and mindless violence". According to the police, they wanted to set fire to containers on the street on Sunday night. The emergency services were then pelted with stones and bottles and blinded with lasers.
Ten police officers and one policewoman were injured during the operation, three of whom had to be temporarily hospitalized. Among other things, they were examined for possible splinters in their eyes.
Security Director Müller demanded that the city make its financial support for the Reitschule dependent on such events in future. After all, there was no question that the Reitschule repeatedly served as a refuge for rioters.
Müller also mentioned the temporary closure of the meeting center. He also expects the city to seriously consider the use of video cameras on the Schützenmatte. Video recordings could possibly have helped to solve the crimes at the weekend.
In November 2023, the Grand Council decided that the canton would be able to impose video surveillance of dangerous places on the municipalities in future. The corresponding amendment to the partially revised Police Act was referred to as "Lex Reitschule". The regulation is not yet in force.
Mayor Alec von Graffenried (Green Free List) described the riots as "incomprehensible and despicable". There had not been a comparable incident for years, he told SRF radio. The city will now analyze the incidents and try to understand "what it was all about".
Riding school keeps its distance
The operators of the Reitschule distanced themselves from the rioters, as the "Bund" and "Berner Zeitung" reported, citing the Reitschule's media group. The reason for the action on Saturday evening was not understood by either the operators or the guests of the Reitschule.
The rioters had tried to seriously injure people, said Manuel Willi, head of the Bern regional police, on TV station Telebärn. Ordinary police patrols without special protective clothing were deployed. "Every stone that comes flying means an extremely high risk of injury in such cases."
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