Rail traffic restricted Pro-Palestine demonstrators block tracks at Bern station
Pro-Palestine demonstrators blocked the tracks at Bern railroad station. Several hundred had gathered earlier to protest against the boarding of the Gaza aid flotilla.
02.10.2025, 22:42
SDA
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- Several hundred demonstrators protested against the halting of the Gaza aid flotilla in Bern this evening.
- Afterwards, some of them blocked the tracks at Bern station.
- SBB has since lifted the disruption notice. However, delays and individual cancellations are still to be expected.
This article was last updated at 22:42.
Several hundred people gathered in Bern on Thursday evening for a spontaneous rally against the boarding of the Gaza aid flotilla. Afterwards, some of them temporarily blocked several tracks at the station.
The blockade action at the train station took place after the demonstration in the city center. Activists blocked several tracks, as pictures on the online portals of Bern's Tamedia media showed.
During the disruption, SBB announced on its website that rail traffic at Bern station was restricted due to a demonstration. The disruption has since been lifted. "Delays and occasional cancellations" are still to be expected. The protesters then blocked streetcar lines.
Earlier in the rally, the participants demanded that Israel release the activists of the Gaza aid flotilla. Switzerland must fulfill its obligations under international law and "actively campaign for an end to the genocide in Gaza", they continued.
Sanctions must be imposed. Economic, scientific and cultural collaborations with Israel must be ended. In Bern, spontaneous demonstrations in response to a specific event are possible within 48 hours. A permit is not required. There is only an obligation to register.
3000 demonstrators in Geneva
In Geneva, over 3000 people gathered in the evening for a spontaneous solidarity rally. This was not authorized. The crowd clogged up the main intersection near the train station. They chanted "Free free Palestine" and criticized "Switzerland's complicity".
Around 1000 people took part in a demonstration on Helvetiaplatz in Zurich. Streetcar services are restricted in the area of city districts 4 and 5, with lines 2, 3, 8, 9 and 14 affected, resulting in delays, cancellations and detour. The ZVV recommends avoiding the city districts 4 and 5.
According to initial reports, the demonstrations in Geneva and Zurich remained peaceful.