Fundamental rights Amnesty sees the right to demonstrate under pressure across Europe

The human rights organization Amnesty International sees increasing restrictions on freedom of assembly in many European countries. There is also a need for action in Switzerland.

On Tuesday, Amnesty published a report on the situation of the right to protest in 21 European countries. The research paints a picture of a Europe-wide attack on the right to protest, it concludes.

According to the report, police violence is a problem in many countries. In addition, peaceful protesters are vilified as "terrorists" or "foreign agents". Eleven countries already use facial recognition systems, which is tantamount to arbitrary mass surveillance.

The organization noted that Switzerland also has some problematic legal provisions. It is particularly critical of the requirement to obtain a permit for small demonstrations, the patchwork of federal regulations and the tendency to pass on costs to the organizers of demonstrations.