Swiss Police Disperse Anti-Zionist Protest with Pepper Spray and Water Cannon

Swiss police in Basel on Saturday dispersed an unauthorized pro-Palestinian demonstration involving 200 to 300 participants who gathered in Theaterplatz around 2 p.m. The protesters chanted "Freedom for Palestine" and held signs reading "End Zionism." Police, reinforced from other areas, deployed water cannons and cordoned off the square, gradually surrounding the demonstrators for identity checks. Clashes erupted during the event, leading police to use pepper spray.

The demonstration was planned for August 29, the anniversary of the first Zionist Congress held in Basel in 1897, under the slogan "Death to Zionism." Authorities had previously announced they would not permit the event due to explicit calls for violence, emphasizing the need for the city's Jewish community to feel secure.

Last week, reports indicated rising security tensions in Basel following social media calls from an organization named "Basel for Palestine" (basel4palestine) to hold a protest on August 29 with the slogan "Death to Zionism." The chosen date commemorates the opening of the first Zionist Congress convened by Theodor Herzl in the city in 1897.

Jonathan Kreutner, Secretary-General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), strongly condemned the planned protest, urging authorities to identify and prosecute its initiators. He stated that such calls pose a direct threat to Israel's existence and cause genuine fear among local Jewish community members. Kreutner noted the deliberate choice of this historical date by the anonymous organizers, contrasting the 1897 discussion of establishing a Jewish homeland with the current aim of protesting against Israel and Zionism.