Now politicians are discussing a ban of racist symbols

The managing Director of the Swiss Federal Commission against racism (ECR) has condemned the appearance of people in costumes of the racist Ku-Klux-Klan at the carnival in Schwyz. "Such a cheer to not tolerate are Asses," said a lawyer Alma Wiecken to multiple media.

As you have learned from the incident, "I was completely shocked," said Wiecken to the newspaper "messenger of Urschweiz". It was not, of course, be tolerated, if people have made such a move, be it at the carnival or in a different context, said the lawyer, the SRF-regional journal of Central Switzerland. It is suspected that the carnival has been abused, a person make-despising ideology on Display.

Whether a violation of the anti-racism law was, it is not possible to say at this point in time. It is now up to the law enforcement authorities, to clarify. Only when all of the backgrounds are known, an assessment is possible, said Wiecken. The police Department of the Canton of Schwyz has been included because of the preparation of the group on the last Monday in Schwyz investigation.

outrage in Bern

Also in the Federal house of the incident, give to talk, writes 20 minutes. "This is absolutely wrong and has to do with carnival. You can't accept," says the Lucerne, SVP national councillor Felix Müri. It was tasteless, if you do so, is also GLP-President Jürg Large. You don't need to look, whether neo-Nazis had put into the robes.

How Wiecken, the Schaffhausen-based SP-national councillor Martina Munz shocked: "It's really a shame that social occasions such as the carnival for such political messages to be abused." Her party colleague Cédric Wermuth says: "When you see that actually people are going to be close to extreme right-wing circles, the fear. The authorities have looked away for too long, in terms of the development of right-wing extremism in this country."

ban of racist symbols required

In Switzerland, extreme-right Gestures, and symbols such as the Nazi salute or the swastika is not forbidden. The wanted to change the Parliament ten years ago – the law is for a ban on racist symbols crashed at the end but. According to the lawyer Daniel Kettiger, the Ku-Klux-Klan-group could therefore get off Scot-free (see Info Box).

For SP-national councillor Munz teaches the case of Schwyz that, as before, a gap in the legislation. It calls for the extreme-right symbols are now finally banned, as it is in other countries. "We also need to restrict the freedom of Assembly and freedom of such groups, the extreme-right agitation." You'll have to turn to the Federal Council to take a position on the case.

ban yeah, but...

Also, GLP-chief Large has sympathy for a ban on racist symbols and is open for re-discussion. He sees but demarcation problems in the implementation, the symbols would be banned and which are not. The Felix Müri looks similar. He says there is also the extreme left of the symbols, which are not in order. The danger is that you end up too much into the pack. He says a public debate as it is now, in the case of Schwyz, shrink from the most. "You should come out of these heads and without hoods."

For Cédric Wermuth is not a prohibition in the foreground: "the prohibition of extremist symbols, extreme right-wing opinions will not disappear automatically." It is much more important, where, how and why such extreme right-wing groups would be wormwood.

(fal/sda)

Created: 08.03.2019, 10:09 PM