More than 10,000 people attend anti-racism march in Geneva

A crowd took to the streets of the city of Geneva on Tuesday in protest at racial discrimination – the largest such rally in Switzerland so far. 

The rally coincided with the funeral of George Floyd, an African American who died at the hands of a white police officer in the United States last month. 

The crowd in Geneva, estimated at 10,000-12,000 people by the Swiss news agency, Keystone-SDA, carried banners including “Silence is no longer an option”, “Racism is also a pandemic” and “I can’t breathe”, Floyd’s final words. 

Racism is also “very present in Switzerland, it is not only an American issue”, according to Ruth Noemie from the organising group, quoted by Reuters television. 

Participants formed groups of 300 people to respect the restrictions on public gatherings introduced by the government to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Police said the protest passed off peacefully. 

Demonstrations have taken place in several Swiss cities and towns over the past few weeks, including Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and the capital, Bern. Further marches are scheduled next weekend in Bern.