An unauthorized march by far-left activists in the Swiss city of Zurich escalated into major unrest and open clashes with police, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to NUR.KZ, citing RIA Novosti, the local newspaper 20 Minuten reported that an unauthorized demonstration by left-wing extremists took place on Saturday evening in the Langstrasse area of Zurich's District 4. Several hundred demonstrators, many wearing masks and protective goggles, protested against militarization, police actions, capitalism and the rise of fascism, and also voiced opposition to the war in the Gaza Strip.
"This was not 'trick or treat' but rioting and senseless destruction: the Halloween demonstration in District 4 on Sunday evening spun completely out of control. Smashed windows, defaced facades and burning barricades made of garbage trucks, e-scooters and e-bikes. Shortly after midnight the aftermath was horrifying: property damage ran into tens of thousands of dollars," the publication wrote.
A post by SuisseAlert on the social network X noted that a night of tension was being prepared in Zurich in protest against rearmament and social inequality: trash bins were already burning, and glass bottles were thrown at emergency services.
Early on Sunday morning, Zurich police reported that a crowd had attacked patrol officers who had been called to provide medical assistance on Brauerstrasse. According to the reports, authorities used water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters in District 4, where barricades were burning and pyrotechnics were being set off.
A patrol car was damaged, and officers had to retreat before they could reach a teenager who had suffered serious leg injuries in an accident.