dim, Jan 14th 2024
Over 3,000 Gather in Basel for Pro-Palestinian Rally, Advocating for Ceasefire and Action
Around 3000 people gathered on Theaterplatz in Basel on Saturday afternoon for the second national pro-Palestinian rally. The demonstration was peaceful.
Rally participants traveled to Basel from all over Switzerland, some of them by shuttle bus. The Theaterplatz was full at 14:00. According to an estimate by a reporter from the Keystone-SDA news agency, there were around 3,000 people on site.
The demonstrators were responding to a call by the new national umbrella organization Switzerland-Palestine, which was founded after the first national rally in Bern last November and, according to its own information, consists of around 80 associations and interest groups.
Among other things, the participants called for an immediate ceasefire and Switzerland’s involvement in the UN Security Council to impose military and economic sanctions on Israel.
According to the police, 2000 to 2500 people
The demonstration started shortly after 2.40 pm and led via Wettsteinbrücke, where red and green petards were set off, to the barracks area. Participants repeatedly chanted “Stop the genocide”, “Free, free Palestine, free free Gaza” or “ceasefire right now”. The police were on site but kept a low profile.
The demonstration ended at 4 p.m. on the Kasernenareal, where speeches were held afterwards. The demonstration was peaceful, as reported by the Basel-Stadt cantonal police on the X news portal. No major damage to property or spray painting was reported.
According to a statement, the organizers assume that 15,000 people took part in the demonstration. The police estimate that there were between 2,000 and 2,500 people.
Supporters of the rally include the Swiss Peace Movement (SFB), Juso Bern and Zurich and the online medium “Baba News”.
©Keystone/SDA
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