Police Disperse Unauthorized Pro-Palestinian Protest in Basel

Authorities intervened after participants refused dialogue and gathered under a slogan referencing the 1897 Zionist Congress, citing explicit violence risks.

Police Intervention and Crowd Control at Theaterplatz

Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Free, free Palestine” and displayed placards bearing inscriptions like “End to Zionism.” Police forces deployed a heavy presence that included a water cannon, sealed off the square, and progressively encircled the crowd. During the operation, small groups formed on the fringes of the police perimeter, engaging in intermittent back-and-forth movements with law enforcement, as reported by RTS. Officers used pepper spray and conducted numerous identity checks. According to La Liberté, participants had prepared a march and refused to engage with the police mediation team. The intervention prompted the closure of Steinenberg and the Theaterstrasse intersection to traffic for approximately eight hours.

Prohibited Slogan and Security Precautions

The demonstration had been announced under the slogan “Death to Zionism” (or “Mort au sionisme”), timed to coincide with the August 29 anniversary of the opening of the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, according to RTS. A distributed tract stated opposition to both Zionist policy in Israel and local support for it.

Prior to the event, the cantonal police stated that the planned format violated fundamental rights and could not be authorized, pointing to explicit calls for violence linked to the announcement. Police emphasized that Basel’s Jewish community must feel secure at all times. To manage the security situation, local forces received reinforcements from police units in the cantons of Bern and Aargau, according to RTS.

Seizures Made During Identity Checks

According to La Liberté, police seized batons, protective eyewear, materials intended for concealing facial identities, and propaganda items bearing the Hamas symbol. Authorities confirmed through a press release that pepper spray constituted the primary active intervention tool used during the operation, alongside the deployment of the water cannon and containment tactics.