Anti-Israel protesters in Switzerland attack police officers in capital

Eighteen police officers and several protesters were injured during clashes at an unauthorized demonstration in Bern, Switzerland on Saturday, Swiss police said on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Four officers were taken to hospital for medical treatment, with their protective gear believed to have prevented more serious injuries, police added, cited by Swiss Info news outlet.

Police told reporters that the crowd of about 5,000 was hurling objects, among them bricks, prompting police forces to restrict its movement.

“This behavior... forced the police to use coercive measures,” deputy regional head of the Bern cantonal police Michael Bettschen was cited as saying on Sunday.

The local police tweeted that the atmosphere on the streets was “heated.”

The crowd attacked police officers with construction tools, furniture, stones, fire extinguishers, fireworks and laser pointers, as activists repeatedly attempted to break through police barricades, police said.

Law enforcement personnel responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons, Swiss Info reported.

In total, 536 people were shortly detained at police stations before being released, the report added.

One person was arrested, Reuters reported.

Local police stated that more than 50 properties in the Swiss capital were damaged, with broken windows and graffiti sprayed on buildings.

The protest was organized by several pro-Palestinian groups from across the country, which rarely experiences direct street confrontations, according to SRF.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect on Friday, potentially ending the war sparked by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.