Zurich and Basel unauthorised protests turn violent with burning barricades and water cannon

Calls on social media and the Halloween setting

Two unauthorised demonstrations took place on Saturday evening, 31 October, in Zurich and Basel. An online appeal under the slogan 'GenZ regelt' (rendered 'Gen Z klärt das' in Basel reports) circulated in the days before and linked the protests to youth demonstrations in France and other European countries. The Basel call on Instagram accused police across Europe of acting harshly against young people. Both cities had Halloween events that evening, and many protesters in Zurich wore costumes early on before switching to black clothing and face coverings.

Zurich: from party to barricades

Around 22:00 several hundred people gathered at the corner of Langstrasse and Dienerstrasse in Zurich's Kreis 4. Palestinian flags were waved, fireworks were set off, loudspeakers played dance music and the crowd chanted in Italian that everyone was antifascist. According to reports, far-left groups had issued the call for the Zurich demonstration. A little under an hour later the mood changed near Helvetiaplatz, where a masked man tried to smash a surveillance camera at a VBZ stop. Containers, e-bikes and e-scooters were dragged into the street and the barricades were set alight. By 23:30 several fires were burning on the streets, and glass fragments covered the roads around Helvetiaplatz.

Police water cannons advanced from two directions, and protesters fired fireworks at the vehicles, which answered with water. Reporters on the scene described smoke that stung eyes, nose and mouth, most likely tear gas, although it may also have come from the burning batteries of the e-bikes and e-scooters. Party-goers stood nearby in the calm of the night while sirens sounded and officers held a briefing by their vehicles.

Basel: barricades near St. Johanns-Platz

In Basel about 150 people gathered in the city centre around 21:00, according to the cantonal police, and the march started at Claraplatz. The procession crossed the Mittlere Brücke to the Marktplatz and then moved into the St. Johann quarter. At about 22:30 demonstrators built barricades near St. Johanns-Platz and set them alight, including two large waste containers. After a police intervention the group ran into St. Johanns-Park, and the fire service put out the burning barriers. Unknown people sprayed a slogan on a window of a UBS branch on the Marktplatz. Public transport was briefly suspended, and the Basel autumn fair was still running while Halloween events kept the centre busy late into the evening.

Police response and aftermath

In Zurich police moved in full riot gear and deployed water cannons, while the professional fire brigade from Schutz & Rettung Zürich put out burning objects. Clashes continued in side streets, and windows and other fixtures were damaged. A bus stop was sprayed with slogans. Tensions eased after midnight, although police stayed on site with a large deployment. Reports described the situation as unclear, since many Halloween party guests were still moving around the Langstrasse at the same time. Along the Basel route there was also isolated property damage, and the police in both cities issued updates on the events as they unfolded.