There are no reviewed versions of this page, so it may not have been checked for adherence to standards.
Sunday, May 1, 2005
International Labor Day, or May Day, has been marked by protests throughout Switzerland. Roughly 12,000 protesters organized across the country, rallying against the dismantling of social welfare, as well as wage dumping and the large salaries of top company officials.
The protests were peaceful, although minor skirmishes did occur in Zurich and Lucerne. These usually involved clashes between left and right extremists rather than with authorities. In one case, bottles and fireworks were used as weapons, but no injuries were reported.
Protesters in Geneva demand reform regarding illegal immigration, and equality for men and women. In Zurich trade unions urged the free movement of people, as well as an ending to the pressure on salaries.
Vasco Pedrina, Co-president of the union Unia, called the difference between high and low incomes a "existential and human tragedy". Pedrina and others, including Bernmayor Alexander Tschäppät, spoke out during the Saturday and Sunday period of protests.
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
The text of this article has been released into the public domain. In the event that this is not legally possible, this article may be used for any purpose, without any condition, unless such conditions are required by law. This applies worldwide. Copyright terms on images, however, may vary, so please check individual image pages prior to duplication.
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
The text of this article has been released into the public domain. In the event that this is not legally possible, this article may be used for any purpose, without any condition, unless such conditions are required by law. This applies worldwide. Copyright terms on images, however, may vary, so please check individual image pages prior to duplication.
