Serious Riots in Zurich District 4: Police Come Under Fire on Halloween Night
Several hundred people rioted on Langstrasse in Zurich on Halloween night. Fires, property damage and attacks on police officers marked the evening.
Riots on Langstrasse: Zurich experiences severe Halloween disturbances
Serious rioting occurred in Zurich's District 4 during the night into Sunday. According to bluewin.ch, several hundred people gathered around 22:30 at Piazza Cella on Langstrasse – mobilised through calls on social media and relevant internet portals. The background to this was events in France in recent weeks.
The participants initially mixed in with regular party-goers. Some were masked, wore protective goggles or appeared in Halloween costumes. Pyrotechnic devices were repeatedly ignited.
Around 23:00, the crowd moved along Langstrasse in the direction of Helvetiaplatz. In the area of Lang- and Stauffacherstrasse, containers were dragged onto the roadway and set alight. The city police deployed water cannons and pushed the people back.
Afterwards, the group split into several smaller units that moved through District 4. At various locations, containers, e-bikes and e-scooters were set on fire. On Zwinglistrasse, the rioters also set a car alight. The windows of the VBZ bus stop Stauffacher as well as shops near Helvetiaplatz were also damaged.
According to a statement from the city police, officers were repeatedly attacked violently with pyrotechnic devices, bottles and stones. The police deployed water cannons, riot control agents and rubber pellets. Numerous onlookers made the work even more difficult. The professional fire brigade from Zurich Protection & Rescue was called in to fight the fires; the Zurich cantonal police supported the city police in the operation.
Shortly after midnight, the situation escalated again on Brauerstrasse. A patrol car had been dispatched because of a medical emergency when it was attacked by a crowd and the police vehicle was damaged. The officers initially had to withdraw. Only afterwards could help be provided to a teenager who had sustained serious leg injuries in an accident.
Around 1:30 a.m., the situation in District 4 calmed down. No information was initially available on the extent of the property damage. The Zurich city police have launched an investigation.
Unrest also occurred in Basel on Saturday evening. Around 150 people took part in an unauthorised demonstration through the city centre, erected barricades and set them alight. Public transport was temporarily interrupted.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)