Renovate Switzerland

Since April 2022, the Swiss group “Renovate Switzerland” has organized regular traffic blockades across Switzerland to raise awareness about the climate crisis. As of now, at least three actions led to criminal trials (two in Zürich: GB230004, 27.2.2023, GB230015, 29.08.2023; one in Geneva: P/24201/2022, 27.1.2024) because the activists did not accept their penal orders. In all three cases, activists were found guilty of coercion (art. 181, Swiss Criminal Code, CC) and disruption of public services (art. 239 CC). In all three cases, defendants accepted the judgement and did not appeal to the second instance. In Switzerland, the condemnation of coercion is usually suspended for 2 years, unless the defendant violates the terms. In this case coercion leads to an entry into the criminal record.