INTERNACIONAL
Swiss parliament approves Nazi symbol display ban
- The lower house of Switzerland’s parliament followed in the Senate’s footsteps Wednesday in voting to approve a ban on the public display, wearing and use of Nazi and other extremist, racist symbols.
- A multiparty coalition overcame opposition from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party to advance the legislation.
- «Today in Switzerland, it’s possible — even permitted — to fly a flag with a swastika on the balcony. It’s possible to fly a flag with the image of the ‘SS’ on the windshield of your car. It’s possible to make a Hitler salute in the public space,» Green lawmaker Raphael Mahaim said in a debate leading up to the vote. «This situation is intolerable.»
The lower house of Swiss parliament on Wednesday followed in the footsteps of the Senate, or upper house, in approving a measure that would ban the use of, public wearing or display of Nazi and racist symbols that could foment extremist hate or violence.
The proposal — years in the making — goes beyond a simple ban on Nazi memorabilia, which had failed in the past in parliament, to include other forms of extremist symbols that could stir hatred or violence. The National Council in the capital, Bern, in a 133-38 vote with 17 abstentions, passed.
Most political groups backed the measure and overcame opposition from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which has the most seats in the two chambers. The vote puts Switzerland on track to join other European countries that have enacted similar bans.
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Efforts to push for tougher legislation have accelerated in recent months in the wake of a surge of antisemitic attacks across Europe and beyond that accompanied the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war in Gaza more than six months ago.
The war erupted after militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people in Israel and seizing 250 as hostages. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials.
«Today in Switzerland, it’s possible — even permitted — to fly a flag with a swastika on the balcony. It’s possible to fly a flag with the image of the ‘SS’ on the windshield of your car. It’s possible to make a Hitler salute in the public space,» said Green lawmaker Raphael Mahaim, in a debate preceding the vote.
He said that until Wednesday’s vote, such actions were banned only if they were linked to sympathy for Nazi ideology — not whether they spread it or stir hatred.
«This situation is intolerable,» he added.
However, Zurich lawmaker Barbara Steinemann of the Swiss People’s Party disagreed. «Our society must be able to deal with the fact that there will always be a base of a few insignificant cranks,» she said.
Steinemann further argued that the new law will do little to stop Jews from being afraid in an antisemitic climate. She alluded to the stabbing of a Jewish man early last month in Zurich, sending a chill through the Jewish community in Switzerland.
«Jews … are taking their children out of schools, leaving Europe, because they no longer feel safe,» said Steinemann.
«A ban on symbols will prevent no attacks, prevent no antisemitic attitudes, which are also rife at our universities and in intellectual environments,» she added.
The measure will now head to the executive Federal Council for a finalized text that can be written into law by parliament.
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Justice Minister Beat Jans said the seven-member council last week expressed support for the measure, and noted the need to fine-tune the legislation so that it’s clear about which actions are allowed — and which are not — while also providing flexibility to make changes easily if needed.
INTERNACIONAL
Australian girl, 12, killed by crocodile while swimming in creek
Australian authorities discovered the remains of a 12-year-old girl Thursday after she was reportedly snatched by a crocodile while swimming in a creek.
Police Senior Sgt. Erica Gibson told reporters, «It was an extremely difficult, essentially 36 hours, difficult for the first responders involved in the search.»
The child’s disappearance began a nearly two-day search by land, air and water.
Her remains were discovered near the river where the girl had gone missing, southwest of the Northern Territory capital Darwin, in the Indigenous community of Palumpa.
Sgt. Gibson confirmed that the girl’s injuries were from a crocodile attack, saying «The recovery has been made. It was particularly gruesome and a sad, devastating outcome.»
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«However, for the family, it is the most devastating outcome possible for them. They are in a state of extreme shock and disbelief,» Gibson added.
Saltwater crocodiles are known to be territorial and the killer reptile may still be in nearby waterways. They are known to be a general risk in the Northern Territory, according to The Associated Press.
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Northern Australia is a tropical climate, supporting a boom in saltwater crocodile populations since populations have been conserved under Australian law beginning in the 1970s.
The population of large crocodiles is on the rise in Northern Australia, with some reptiles reaching up to 23 feet long. The animals grow throughout their lives, and crocodiles can live up to around 70 years of age.
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Sgt. Gibson told reporters that the search efforts for the killer crocodile are still underway.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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