About 200 Swiss university students protest against Macron's visit

About 200 students have staged a protest on the campus of the University of Lausanne against French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to this university.

The purpose of the protest was to support the Palestinians due to the events in the Middle East, TASS reports citing the Swiss RTS TV company.

The protesters were holding Palestinian flags and posters “Free Palestine” and “Stop genocide”.

Macron's visit to the University of Lausanne is part of the official programme of the second day of his state visit to Switzerland, which began on November 15. The video footage posted on the RTS website captured an episode of a clash between demonstrators and police officers who were trying to block the movement of a group of protesters. Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags, chanting “Macron is an accomplice”.

According to the TV company, the demonstrators protested against President Macron’s position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which they regard as support for Israel. The protest on the university campus began at 09:30 (GMT+1). After 45 minutes, President Macron and Swiss President Alain Berset arrived at the university. By that time, the police used pepper spray against the demonstrators. The security operation in Lausanne involved numerous law enforcement officers. The TV company reported that two police helicopters were flying over the area where the university is located.