Swiss police use tear gas, water cannons in pro-Gaza flotilla rallies

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Reuters
Today 08:45
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Swiss police resort to force to control large rallies in Geneva in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

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A demonstrator holds a skateboard with the inscription "Free Palestine" during a rally in solidarity with Palestine and to condemn the raiding of the Global Sumud Flotilla by the Israeli Navy, in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 2, 2025 (AFP)

Swiss police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators in Geneva on Thursday evening, as protests erupted across Europe and Latin America in response to "Israel’s" interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).

Tear gas, clashes in Geneva

Eyewitnesses told Reuters that protesters were suddenly engulfed in tear gas while retreating, describing burning eyes and difficulty breathing. Images and footage circulated online showed white plumes filling the streets, while Swiss broadcaster RTS aired footage of a water cannon targeting the front line of demonstrators.

🇨🇭protests announced in virtually all major cities in switzerland today as well https://t.co/yAv83cCQRZ
— Bes D. Marx🔻 (@BesDMarx) October 2, 2025

Alexandre Brahier, spokesperson for Geneva police, said around 3,000 people, mostly adults and young men, had joined the march. He confirmed that officers deployed “control measures, including tear gas and water cannons.”

Brahier claimed the escalation of actions by protesters forced police intervention. “Large protests are to be expected in big cities, but it’s not every day that we need to resort to control measures like this,” he remarked.

Escalation in Switzerland

Pro-Palestine rallies have been gaining momentum across Switzerland in recent weeks, but direct confrontations between protesters and security forces remain uncommon. Thursday’s clashes in Geneva were among the largest and most volatile demonstrations the country has witnessed in solidarity with Palestine.

Mobile phone footage shared with Reuters showed flares being hurled as crowds packed narrow streets in central Geneva, chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags.

The large demonstration comes after the Israeli Navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters on October 1–2, 2025, as the convoy of more than 40 boats attempted to approach the Gaza Strip. Naval forces surrounded the vessels, raided them, and redirected them to the port of Isdud, detaining 443 activists from over 40 countries.

Protests, strikes overtake the world

"Israel's" action against the flotilla has sparked global popular outrage, with demonstrations, protests, and strikes being announced in numerous countries.

Across Europe, from Greece to Spain, Sweden, Belgium, and Italy, thousands took to the streets, with Italy's largest trade union federation in Rome announcing a nationwide general strike for next Friday to protest the seizure.

In Germany, demonstrators blocked the central train station, while in Geneva, Switzerland, calls were launched for mobilizations condemning the attack on the flotilla.

In London, thousands marched toward the prime minister's residence while chanting slogans against the Israeli occupation. Similar rallies took place in Canada and Argentina, with the latter seeing demonstrators gathering in Buenos Aires to denounce the aggression.

Turkish cities, led by Istanbul, witnessed mass demonstrations condemning the Israeli Navy’s assault on the flotilla, while in Tunis, large crowds rallied in support of Gaza and against normalization with the occupation. In Nouakchott, Mauritania, protesters also gathered, underscoring the widespread rejection of the attack across Arab capitals.

Other protests were held across different parts of the world.