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The city had most of the situation under control and was able to avoid major damage, law enforcement officials say at a news conference.
St. Gallen City President Maria Pappa mingles with young people on the night of the Good Friday riots.
On Good Friday night there were major youth riots in the canton capital of St. Gallen until late evening, following calls on social media for violence against the police and the city. On Saturday afternoon, at 1 pm, the police in the presence of the president of the city of St. Gallen reported on the first findings of the renovated Kravallnacht.
Over the course of the evening, the police arrested 19 people, half Swiss and half foreigners. They are all released again, some are being investigated for property damage, among other things. Two people were injured, but none of the emergency services. Police were also able to arrest a wanted Swiss. Material damage has so far been estimated at 50,000 Swiss francs. Objects were set on fire, furniture was damaged and, for example, a window in a bus stop was broken
A week earlier, a youth anti-crown party had intensified in the city. The dissolution of the 200-person gathering by the police had led to riots and property damage in the five-figure range.
Schubweise eruption
According to the police, this Good Friday there were outbreaks of violence. In the evening, larger groups of young people gathered at the train station and in nearby Red Square at the Raiffeisen Switzerland headquarters. At 7:30 pm a larger group of young people from Basel arrived, from 8:15 pm the mood became more aggressive, according to the police. At 8:30 pm, bangers and fireworks were lit, and some young people began to mask themselves. When objects were thrown, the police responded with rubber bullets.
At 9:15 p.m. the situation calmed down again, but then groups began throwing firecrackers and stones at the police, and from 10:20 p.m. the uniformed policemen withdrew to protect themselves. After bicycles and other objects caught fire in Vadianstrasse, a few minutes from Red Square, the firefighters moved under police protection. Now mostly masked manhole covers, pyrotechnics and a Molotov cocktail were used against emergency services. Starting at 11 p.m., the police used tear gas against the rioters.
“Just a small part of the chaotic”
However, according to Mayor Maria Pappa, only a small proportion of the youth participated in the violence. As if it were an event, the journalists had apparently traveled to St. Gallen in droves. Pappa warned them at the press conference that personal perceptions were only part of the real situation. There was only a few chaos that night, now they would have to account. “We cannot group the young people now. Many were absent and many distance themselves from these incidents, ”he said.
Well prepared
The police, who were constantly at the scene and sought dialogue with those present, said they were well prepared. One was informed of all the events before and during the outbreak of violence. These were also overlooked from above with a cantonal police helicopter. The entire city police force, medical and rescue services were in action, and they were also supported by the cantonal police, the East Swiss Police Concordat and the SBB transport police. The cleaning also worked very Swiss, so the streets and squares were clean and orderly again until the wee hours of the morning.
The degree of understanding of the police, politics and society that shows the frustration of young people in these difficult times is striking. Because they, as agreed, will be the most affected by the measures against Covid-19, although in reality they are the least threatened by the virus. Acts of violence are strongly condemned, and several St. Gallen residents were highly critical of “Blick-TV” about the rioters.
