Commemorative rallies in Bern, Lausanne and Sion
On Wednesday, several hundred people in Bern, Lausanne and Sion commemorated the victims of the attack on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. They gathered at around 11.30 a.m. - exactly one week after the attack.
They held up pens, caricatures and "Je suis Charlie" signs. In Bern, a few dozen media professionals gathered on Waisenhausplatz for a silent memorial event. The journalists' associations Impressum and Syndicom had called for this. Around 300 people also took to the streets in the Valais capital of Sion. They braved the rain on the Place de la Planta and received support from State Councillors Jean-Michel Cina (CVP) and Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten (SP).
In Lausanne, over 200 people gathered on the Place de l'Europe, including many media professionals and representatives of religious communities. They stood up for freedom of expression. Satire is also a tribute to intelligence, said Sebastian Dieguez from the French-speaking Swiss satirical magazine Vigousse. He knew some of the victims because Vigousse works with Charlie Hebdo. Vigousse has received numerous requests for subscriptions since the attack, said Dieguez. This had prompted the editors to reflect on their responsibility as "spinners".
Religious representatives plead for tolerance
The Association de l'Arzilier, which runs a house for interfaith dialog, also took part in the rally in Lausanne. It is unacceptable that Jews have to live in fear and that mosques are attacked, said Dominique Voinçon of the foundation. "We are all standing up for tolerance here." The words "Islam condemns all fanaticism, racism and violence" were written on a large banner. Several people held up signs reading "Je suis Ahmet" in memory of the police officer killed in the attack. The rabbi of the Israelite community of Lausanne and the canton of Vaud, Lionel Elkaïm, expressed his concern: "The climate in Europe reminds us of difficult moments in history." They look to the future with great concern. In Geneva, Christians, Muslims and Jews had invited to an interfaith commemoration event on Wednesday evening. (SDA)
