Scientology poster in the main station irritates commuters
A poster by the controversial Church of Scientology is causing a stir at Zurich's main train station. The SBB cites freedom of expression in public spaces.
The "advertising for a sect" in the public space caused a stir. 20 minutes-reader and photographed the poster, which aims to attract new Scientology members via URL and app download.
When asked by the commuter newspaper, SBB referred to a federal court ruling from 2012, according to which train stations are considered public spaces. In this context, train stations should therefore not be treated any differently than municipalities treat their public spaces, according to a spokesperson. Action would only be taken if public order was at risk or morality and decency were being violated. Otherwise, the freedom of expression enshrined in the Federal Constitution applies.
The Swiss Commission for Fair Trading (SLK) is also not responsible for the question of whether a controversial religious organization is allowed to advertise in public spaces. Thomas Meier explains that the SLK is only allowed to assess commercial communication. Only when an organization wants to sell something through advertising does its jurisdiction change. However, the SLK recently sanctioned Scientology because the organization had put flyers in a letterbox in Basel despite the "no advertising" sticker. (hae)
