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![In the run-up to the feminist day of March 8, there was a demonstration in Zurich on Saturday. The high police presence on site caused unrest - because the event was not approved.]()
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In the run-up to the feminist day of March 8, there was a demonstration in Zurich on Saturday. The high police presence on site caused unrest – because the event was not approved.
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![Rebekka S. (22) was right in the middle of it that day. “That really scared me. The police exerted such pressure, even though everything was totally peaceful, ”says the student.]()
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2/11
Rebekka S. (22) was right in the middle of it that day. “That really scared me. The police exerted such pressure, even though everything was totally peaceful, ”says the student.
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![The police drove up with a van and a water cannon.]()
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3/11
The police drove up with a van and a water cannon.
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![Clear demands here in Berlin.]()
imago images / Emmanuele Contini
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10/11
Clear demands here in Berlin.
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![In Vienna, too, women took to the streets.]()
imago images/photosteinmaurer.com
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11/11
In Vienna, too, women took to the streets.
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In the run-up to the feminist day of March 8, there was a demonstration in Zurich last Saturday. The police presence on site caused unrest – because the event was not approved. Eventually there is violence. Rebekka S. * (22) was also in the thick of it.
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The student from Zurich demonstrated to draw attention to discrimination and violence against women. The vote on the ban on veiling made her very angry. Still, it should have been a peaceful protest.“Nobody was looking for a riot,” she says in an interview with BLICK.
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But already in the tram on the way to the city center she noticed an extreme police presence: “If I hadn’t known that the demo was taking place, I would have thought that a terrorist attack might have happened.”
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Demonstration not approved because of Corona
There were protests around Helvetiaplatz. Rebekka S. knew that the event was not approved because of the existing pandemic. Still, she didn’t want to go home, the concern was too important.
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Then the police intervened. Van and a water cannon pulled up. In full gear with batons, rubber bullets and shields, the police tried to separate the crowd. “That really scared me. The police exerted such pressure, even though everything was totally peaceful, ”says the student.
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Despite the fear-mongering, the majority of the demonstrators stayed. So does Rebekka S .: “The great solidarity made us strong.” The anger against what she saw as the repressive measures taken by the police also spurred her to continue.
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Pepper spray and beatings against the demonstrators
When the demonstration started, the police reacted with lightning speed. “Suddenly 20 to 30 box vans with sirens and flashing lights sped past out of nowhere – and blocked the way at the next cross street,” Rebekka S. describes the situation. The officers used tear gas and pepper spray to push the demonstrators back.
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This is probably where the violence video was made, which is causing outrage on social media. A police officer then hits a protester lying on the ground with his fist several times on the head. The Zurich city police stated that the pictures were taken during an arrest after threats against officials. A more in-depth clarification is “undoubtedly necessary”. The public prosecutor’s office should clarify the consequences of criminal law as well as possible personal measures with the officer concerned.
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Change necessary
The whole thing upset her very much. “To see how the police use violence against a peaceful women’s protest has left stark images. But it also confirms that a change is necessary, ”she emphasizes. Giving up is not an option.
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But the city police, for their part, also report violence and threats against officials. A press release stated that a protester had bitten a police officer.
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Published: March 9th, 2021, 9:08 pm
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