Gsg9 1/87 Unité spéciale: Swiss Riot Control Forces

lundi 14 novembre 2022

Swiss Riot Control Forces - English Version

- GMO -

Swiss Riot Control Forces

- English Version -

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

(Sorry if there are errors in the meaning, word or verb of the expressions).

Link to the main menu of topics translated into English

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- Version Française -

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The Riot Control Force in Switzerland, following numerous outbursts during demonstrations, has led to the rethinking of the Swiss police force into a Romand GMO (Groupement du Maintien de l'ordre Romande).

Since the beginning of the 2000s, Switzerland has been increasingly confronted with anti-globalization demonstrations that can degenerate into riots.

Every year, the Davos summit takes place, which brings together business and political leaders from all over the world. It is organized by the WEF (World Economic Forum) foundation based in Geneva.

This causes anti-Davos and anti-WEF movements in demonstrations that can degenerate.

Similarly, in June 2003, the G8 summit which took place in Evian, but of which some delegations were in Switzerland, required a deployment of Swiss forces never before realized with so many police officers.

G8 video of 2003

More than 264 Swiss gendarmes were reinforced by 190 police officers from Lausanne and 460 swiss confederate police officers, as well as 106 German police officers equipped with water cannon trucks. Detachments from Geneva and Valais also came to assist.

The Swiss Police forces have developed and modernized to be able to manage this new type of events...

Training of Vaud police officers with the Swiss Army
They regularly carry out exercises, with the support of the Swiss Army's air-land resources as above, with this training of the VAUD police officers.

Training with water truck with policemen of the canton of Vaud
But also with water trucks,

Training in a Swiss stadium of the canton of VAUD
or in interventions in stadiums.

Find an French Article on Swiss law Enforcement
with the example of Vaud
>>> by clicking here <<<

Between pacifist movements and small groups that slip in among demonstrators, the Swiss Police forces of order have put together, by means of confederal mutual aid, a common unit for maintaining order: the Romand GMO (Groupement du Maintien de l'ordre)

The Canadians carried out an investigation during the Summit of the Americas in 2001 on the categories of demonstrators: Whatever the country, the demonstrators are not homogeneous. They are divided into several categories:
- The demonstrator who asks for permission to march and does not break anything.
- The pacifist who is less convenient, the adept of civil disobedience and sitting deliberately obstructing official ceremonies.

But it is on the fringe of these majority groups that the "dangerous categories" are rife:
- First, the rioters, for whom the demonstration serves as an alibi;
- and finally the groups constituted by autonomists and anarchists, better and better equipped and using the method known as "Black Blocs", that is to say individuals hidden behind black masks, black gloves and black clothes and operating in group not to be spotted during violent actions or degradations.

- English Version -

- The action of masked gangs in demonstrations -
>>> Click Here <<<

Hence the need for the public forces to distinguish between these demonstrators and the attitude to adopt for the maintenance of order.
The Swiss Police forces use the so-called "three Ds" model (dialogue, de-escalate, defend) to create a de-escalation to minimize violence and install a permanent dialogue.

The cantonal police forces are grouped together according to the danger and possible excesses, as was done in 2012 in Bern in the face of a banned demonstration against the WEF, with the police forces of the cantons of Bern, Geneva, Zurich and Basel City.

Other methods, more delicate, are made as during the 1st of May 2011, where the Zurich police had confined more than 500 people, facing a fear of overflow with the assistance of the Federal Court. This was done in order to allow an identity check. Some of them remained at the disposal of the police for almost 6 hours.

At the end, 45 people had been prosecuted, because some of them had unauthorized weapons or pyrotechnic material.

You can find under this link this tactic used by the Swiss forces of order which is part of a more global plan to control the demonstrations:

- English Version -

The tactic of de-escalation

>>> Click Here <<<

However the increasingly violent acts of aggression pose a real reflection as you can discover on the link below:

- English Version -

Evolution of the violence in the demonstrations
>>> Click here <<<

- English Version -

- Urban violence in different Western countries -
>>> Click Here <<<

In 2015, 700 new positions were created, that is 18,300 police officers providing security in Switzerland. More than 1,940 in Bern and more than 4,000 in Zurich.

In 2011, there were 21.5 police officers per 10,000 inhabitants compared to 22.1 in 2016. The highest density is in Basel and Geneva.

Here is the number of police officers in some French-speaking cantons
(2016 figure):
Canton of Basel City: 675 members,

Canton of Geneva : 1.386 members,

Canton of Vaud : 1.953 members,

Canton of Valais : 648 members,

Canton of Fribourg: 527 members,

>>> Link to the French Article by clicking here<<<

The Swiss Police forces also have "Water cannon" type trucks, for some years

Like here in Bern,

or here in Zurich.

This allowing to have a dissuasive side, to push back the rioters without direct contact, to have a commitment of less manpower on foot, the possibility of extinguishing starts of fire while waiting for the firemen.

- English Version -

- Riot Control Trucks in the World -

>>> Click Here <<<

Flying units on motorcycles also allow for rapid response to the mobility of violent protesters as seen in this video above.

Similarly, the use of tear gas is very much employed...

Finally, Swiss units also train in France, in Saint Astier, in the French National Training Center of the Gendarmerie Forces as can be seen on this video with the Savatan Police Academy.

Here are other videos of their interventions: