Switzerland climate protests draw thousands

Several thousand people marched in Geneva and Lausanne on Saturday to protest what they said was Swiss government inaction over global warming.

The demonstrations were called by a coalition of more than 100 associations and political parties under the banner “No 50-degree summers!” People of different ages joined the marches with climate-related placards.

The larger protest was in Lausanne, where organisers said at least 8,000 people took part.

Marchers quoted by AFP said they wanted more pressure on Swiss political and financial leaders to respond to the climate crisis. Some pointed to water shortages and summer heatwaves as reasons for urgent action.

Switzerland’s summer heatwaves forced the closure of a nuclear power station and caused record low water levels in Lake Zurich. In 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland was not doing enough to fight climate change.

Further protests have been called in several Swiss cities in the coming weeks until October 2.