The demonstration in front of the Swiss parliament in Bern on Friday evening.
Keystone-SDA
After a record-hot summer, people took to the streets in several cities in Switzerland on Friday to call for more climate action.
In Bern, demonstrators gathered in front of parliament and called for an immediate implementation of measures to tackle heatwaves and climate change. A speaker from the Climate Strike movement insisted the crisis has to be addressed with the utmost urgency at political, financial, social and economic levels.
People of all ages gathered on parliament square in early evening, many carrying homemade banners. After speeches on the almost full square, a cycle procession and panel discussion were on the agenda.
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Around 4,000 people also joined the nationwide demonstrations in Basel. There, the authorised rally called attention to the record-breaking heat of summer 2026, before marching from the Schützenmattpark towards the city centre.
Participants carried banners featuring slogans such as “No 50°C summers!”, “The best air-conditioning system is an intact natural environment!” and “Save the future – there is no Planet B”. The rally featured a very mixed crowd of young and old, a reporter from the Keystone-SDA news agency observed.
The nationwide rallies were organised by the “No 50°C summers!” alliance, which is backed by over 100 groups including the Climate Alliance, Climate Strike, Greenpeace, Pro Velo, VCS and various left-wing and green political parties. Demonstrations were also held Zurich, Lucerne and Bellinzona, among other places. In total, several thousand people took part.
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How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
