Crowds gathered for a pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstration in Lausanne
Hundreds of people took to the streets in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday evening, as two demonstrations unfolded in the city. The events, which took place on September 18, 2025, led to clashes between pro-Palestine demonstrators and the police.
The peaceful pro-Israel silent march, organized by the Swiss-Israeli Association, saw over 200 people marching behind a banner with the motto of the rally: 'For Israel - Against Anti-Semitism.' The demonstrators with Israeli and Swiss flags remained in the area of the old harbor.
However, a counter-demonstration to the pro-Israel march occurred, with more than 2000 people participating. The pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted support for the Palestinian people and verbally attacked the 'colonial state' of the 'Zionists.' The demonstration was not authorized, unlike the silent march, which was approved by the Lausanne police.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration moved from Place de la Riponne to St-Laurent. The clashes occurred on separate occasions, at 20:25 and 20:35, during the counter-demonstration. The counter-demonstration led to clashes between pro-Palestine demonstrators and the police, with the demonstrators being pushed back by law enforcement officers using tear gas grenades and a water truck.
At the end of the rally, the organizers of the pro-Israel silent march demanded the release of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. It is unclear which specific organization led the Israel sympathy march in Lausanne, as the name is not mentioned in the available sources. The event concluded around 8 p.m. and called for the release of the Israeli hostages.
The clashes took place in Lausanne on Thursday evening, with the Lausanne police approving the silent march but not the counter-demonstration. The incidents serve as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine, even in the heart of Switzerland.
