Though Switzerland had not been affected by massive riots that began in France and spread through Europe, local far-left groups took to the streets in Zurich’s District 4 on Halloween night, October 31st.
Throughout the area, windows were smashed, buildings vandalised, and random vehicles as well as police barricades set on fire in what Swiss media called a “frenzy of destruction.”
“A violent mob set objects on fire and attacked emergency responders with fireworks, stones, and bottles,” Zurich police said in a press release, adding that ” 65 such incidents occurred throughout the city area.”
According to reports, the police issued “18 expulsion orders,” meaning that some of those caught were foreign nationals.
It is not clear at this time whether the riots broke out over a specific cause or were just random.
Reactions to the events suggest the latter.
Oliver Heimgartner, president of the Social Democratic Party said: “It is clear that the participants were only interested in causing property damage and provoking confrontation.”
Are these riots similar to those in France and elsewhere in Europe, and will they escalate further?
Experts don’t necessarily see eye to eye on this point.
Ahmed Ajil, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of Lucerne, sees a political dimension behind the riots, with far-left groups causing damage as a response to “structural violence,” for example, the supply of military equipment, poverty, or marginalisation.
But Dirk Baier, an expert on youth violence at the University of Zurich, said: “The sole intent here was to cause riots and confront the police.”
The demonstration remained peaceful until the evening, with many young people expressing their views without resorting to violence. Only a small fraction of the protesters took part in the escalation, and it had nothing to do with political demands, he said.
“In Zurich, there are places where left-wing extremists and football fans cross paths. They use these opportunities for violence and are capable of mobilising a sufficient number of people.”
Switzerland is not France
The two experts do agree on one point: that the situation in Switzerland is not comparable to that in France, which began as a high school protest movement but spiralled into a violent uprising by various radical groups.
In Switzerland, the violence does not stem from marginalised youths or those suffering from discrimination. “In Zurich, this was not a spontaneous eruption of violence, but rather a planned violent confrontation—specifically, one directed at the police,” Baier said.
As for Ajil, he said that Switzerland provides less fertile ground for far-left groups than France does.
“The school system functions well, there is less localised frustration, and the sheer number of people involved is not on the same scale.”
Swiss political system a plus
Baier also pointed out another important difference between the two countries – that Switzerland’s democracy, under which people can have their say in the processes and laws that govern their lives – helps lessen frustration with the political and social issues.
“We must convince these people that our democratic system is the right path.”
Will these riots spread to other Swiss cities as well?
It is possible as these events usually have a snowball effect.
On Saturday night, similar protests already erupted in Basel, Geneva, and Bern.
