Some Covid sceptics and those energetically opposed to measures to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are consuming an increasing amount of police time, in particular the time of staff at Switzerland’s Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), reported RTS.
The rising propensity for violence associated with Covid sceptics is taking up a lot of time, Florian Näf, a spokesperson for Fedpol told the newspaper SonntagsBlick. Another Fedpol representative confirmed this and described the trend as concerning.
In addition, Fedpol reports a rise in the number of threats against federal government officials.
Those most targeted include officials in the public eye managing the fight against disease spread, such as politicians and those working for the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
In a normal year, around 100 threats are sent to politicians and federal government staff, often via email. So far this year the number of threats exceeds 1,000. Most express frustration and contain abuse. However, a handful contain threats, according Cathy Maret, a spokesperson for Fedpol.
Threats are taken seriously. If deemed necessary, security measures are considered, along with legal action. Security measures have been reinforced recently but the government declined to provide details.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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