Pro-Palestine protest outside Zionist conference in Switzerland
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Pro-Palestine protesters stand outside the Messe hotel in Basel, Switzerland, chanting against "Israel".
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Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Messe hotel hosting a World Zionist Organization in Basel, Switzerland, August 28, 2022
Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters are demonstrating outside a hotel in Basel, Switzerland, where a large event marking the 125th anniversary of the "First Zionist Congress" is held by the "World Zionist Organization."
See more: Solidarity with Palestine across the world
The demonstrators were waving Palestinian flags and signs against Israeli aggression on a bridge located just across the Messe hotel, which is currently under Swiss police protection.
The conference was said to witness the flocking of over 1,000 Zionist leaders from around the world in time for the event, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The anniversary is viewed by Zionists as an important event that led to the establishment of the Israeli entity in 1948.
The demonstrations were planned by BDS - the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement - in Basel in opposition to the anniversary event.
According to Swiss BDS on Facebook, “This commemorative political event, supported by the Basel government and secured by a massive police and military presence, affirms the supremacy of right-wing organizations over the importance and history of Zionism."
“We once again urge the Basel government to withdraw from any involvement in the Zionism celebrations and to end any cooperation with official Israeli institutions and state representatives."
“Along with the WZO, this anniversary is also organized by an organization that plays an important role in illegal settlement building and systematic expropriation of Palestinian land."
“The history of violence of Zionism is denied at the celebration,” the Facebook post said, adding that “the colonial character of the Zionist occupation in Palestine is obscured and, in continuity with the Zionists of the time, the mere existence of Palestinians made their suffering invisible.”
According to the Swiss BDS website, in a demonstration against the Israeli event, two major events were supposed to take place: The first was Saturday evening where a “panel discussion on Palestine will relate to the critical contributions to the situation in Palestine,” and the second was supposed to be Sunday afternoon in protest against the "Zionist Congress" events.
“To this day, Israel is characterized by countless laws and practices that discriminate against the Palestinian population. The expulsion of the Palestinian population from more and more parts of the country continues unabated,” the group wrote.
“The Basel government ignores the criticism, instead boasting of Basel's importance to Zionism and Israel and welcoming Israeli President Isaac Herzog with open arms,” Swiss BDS said, concluding that “we once again urge the Basel government to withdraw from any involvement in the Zionism celebrations and to end any cooperation with official Israeli institutions and state representatives.”
According to the Swiss Basler Zeitung newspaper, the local and federal Swiss governments spent $6 million for this event, mainly on security measures. Airspace over the venue was closed and 700 policemen were deployed.
