Police in Geneva, Switzerland, used tear gas and water cannons to break up a big rally on Thursday night, in favor of the recent Gaza aid flotilla that Israel stopped.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that the fight happened, and subsequently, a representative for the Geneva police said that “control measures” had been used.
Protest Breaks Out After Flotilla Is Stopped
The protest in Geneva, which was part of a wave of protests that also happened in Bern, Italy, and Colombia on Thursday, was caused by Israel stopping over 40 boats carrying assistance and more than 400 foreign activists on their way to Gaza. Several Swiss citizens and well-known Swedish activist Greta Thunberg were among those arrested.
Alexandre Brahier, a spokeswoman for the Geneva police, says that roughly 3,000 persons, largely adults and young males, took part in the protest.
Police action confirmed
The police said they had to use aggressive crowd control methods when the protest got out of hand.
Tear Gas: An eyewitness said they were “heavily gassed,” which made their eyes burn and made it hard for them to breathe. A picture sent to Reuters showed a big cloud of white smoke, which was recognized as tear gas, above a roadway full of protesters.
Water Cannons: A second witness and video from a mobile phone published by the Swiss national station RTS showed that a big white truck sprayed water on the front line of the demonstrators.
Throwing Things: Brahier said that the demonstrators weren’t carrying deadly weapons, but they were “throwing things,” which damaged some property. There were other videos from cell phones showing flares being thrown into the crowded street in central Geneva.
Switzerland’s rare confrontation
Switzerland doesn’t usually have such violent clashes, even if protests in support of Gaza have been growing across the country in the past several weeks.
Brahier said, “We expect big protests in big cities, but we don’t need to use control measures like this every day.”