Photo: The banners say: (left) No Swiss money for the wars of this world #wardeals (middle) Stop arms deals/ Stop the arms trade/ Easter march for peace (right) Mess/ Everyone must save for the army/ GSOA (Group for a Switzerland Without an Army).

On April 14, Peace Brigades International-Switzerland posted on their Facebook page: “This year’s Easter March will take place on April 18, 2022. Climate protection and peace policy must be considered together. Let’s make a sign together!”

Their website also includes these points:

– Swiss companies and the Swiss financial center are held responsible for CO2 emissions, war material exports and human rights violations.

– No investments in billion-dollar armaments projects and no war financing by Switzerland.

– Climate and conflicts are driving millions of people to flee. We demand solidarity, admission and the right to stay for refugees in Switzerland.

– Land and environmental defenders are threatened, imprisoned and killed worldwide. Switzerland must efficiently implement its guidelines on human rights defenders abroad and thus contribute to their protection.

– Switzerland as a trading platform for 80 percent of Russian oil and natural gas is co-financing the war, this must change!

The website for the march further notes:

“In terms of content, we wanted to address the topic of ‘Protecting the climate, creating peace!’ However, due to current events, we feel compelled to have the devastating war in Ukraine in the focus of the Easter March. The flyer therefore represents the focus of this year’s Easter March only to a limited extent.”

For a short video of PBI-Switzerland director Katia Aeby speaking last year about the Easter March, please click here.