Comment – After the youth riots in St.Gallen: That’s the ugly side of the fun society – Corona or not

Young people, who are the only message that “Corona can take us”, chop up whatever is in their way across the alleyways. An act of violence that needs unequivocal answers.

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What happened in downtown St.Gallen on Friday evening was an announced mass binge. It has degenerated into unrestrained violence and destructiveness. Young people, who are the only message that “Corona can take us”, chop up whatever is in their way across the alleyways.

“Let’s take St.Gallen apart,” says the relevant Snapchat calls. While uninvolved commercial and catering businesses, which are currently already threatened in their existence, are still repairing the damage, the question arises: Can the youngsters’ frustration with coronavirus alone explain what happened? Does society have to understand such excesses? The answer: no. Aggression and violence at the expense of others – even if it is at the expense of public space – are unacceptable and must have corresponding consequences.

The overwhelming majority of youth behave impeccably

The wish of the majority of minors to finally be able to «celebrate» again, in honor. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of young people are adapting perfectly to the nerve-wracking pandemic situation. With them, frustration, anger and boredom – feelings that everyone knows – do not lead to senseless violence.

Even worse than the realization that ignoramuses who are whipped up by intoxicants once again fail to control themselves, are adults who manage to applaud them too. Which leads to the question: where were the parents?