08 Jan 2021 | 03:19 PM UTC
Switzerland: Activists to demonstrate outside US embassy from Jan. 8 and 9
Activists to demonstrate outside the US Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, Jan. 8 and 9. Increased security, localized disruptions likely.
Event
Activists plan to demonstrate outside the US Embassy building in Bern to show support for Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, who is currently involved in extradition proceedings enacted by the US. Participants will gather from 1600 Jan. 8 and 1400 Jan. 9; attendance could reach into the low hundreds.
Additional police will likely deploy to monitor the action; related security measures could prompt localized transport disruptions in the area around the US Embassy. Current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures in Switzerland restrict public gatherings; authorities may attempt to shut down the action if participants are deemed to be breaching these restrictions. Isolated clashes between protesters and police cannot be ruled out.
Advice
Avoid the demonstration as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Heed instructions from security services and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. Allow extra time for travel in the demonstration area Jan. 8-9.
