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At a “Free Palestine, Death to Zionism” protest held in Basel, Switzerland, last weekend, demonstrators defended Hamas as a “resistance organization” and called for the State of Israel’s destruction.
The rally coincided with the 129th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress, convened by Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl in Basel in 1897.
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Executive Director of European Affairs Shannon Seban went undercover to document Saturday’s event firsthand, interviewing participants.
Watch Seban’s video HERE:
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“Zionism is like fascism,” one demonstrator told Seban. “A very genocidal ideology.”
“It’s an ideology that should be illegal, or just abolished in general,” another asserted, equating Zionism with “ideologies in the Second World War, like Nazism.”
In a letter to Basel Mayor Conradin Cramer, Seban called what she observed at the protest “deeply disturbing.”
“The atmosphere was confrontational, with demonstrators defying police instructions,” she noted.
Seban cited a report by the Basel-Stadt Cantonal Police that “174 people were controlled, while a baton, protective goggles, face-covering equipment, and propaganda bearing Hamas symbols were seized.”
“I commend the police for their intervention,” she wrote. “But these events raise a broader question — how can Basel, a city with such a unique place in Jewish and Zionist history, ensure that calls for hatred, violence, and the glorification of terrorism are not normalized in its streets?”
Seban went on to ask Mayor Cramer for an “opportunity to discuss what further action the city can take and how CAM could cooperate with Basel in combating antisemitism and extremism.”
In his reply to Seban, Mayor Cramer wrote, “I fully understand your concern. The slogans and symbols used to call for this demonstration are unacceptable. The Government Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt takes a firm stand against antisemitism and all forms of exclusion, and I have indeed already publicly condemned these slogans and symbols.”
“In the run-up to the event, our cantonal police assessed the demonstration, in the form announced, as incompatible with fundamental rights and therefore ineligible for a permit,” he added. “I am glad that a large deployment of security forces was able to prevent an escalation. The calls associated with this demonstration had sparked great concern and feelings of intimidation and threat among Jewish residents.”
“This is unacceptable — especially given the historical roots of the Zionist Congress in our city, which you rightly mention in your letter,” Mayor Cramer noted. “Criticism of the Israeli government’s actions must be possible. However, it must not devolve into antisemitism, the sweeping condemnation of Jewish people, or the questioning of their right to live in safety. The Government Council will continue to take a very firm stand on this matter.”
A total of 2,962 antisemitic incidents were monitored across Europe by CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) in 2025, nearly a 50% rise from 2024.
Bâle 🇨🇠| 29 août 2026 – À l’occasion du 129ᵉ anniversaire du premier Congrès sioniste, des manifestants pro-palestiniens se sont rassemblés lors d’une manifestation non autorisée sous le slogan : « Free Palestine, Death to Zionism ».
Avec le @CombatASemitism, je me suis… pic.twitter.com/SanmcMUaYC
— Shannon Seban (@ShannonSeban) September 3, 2026
Read more:
‘Death to Zionism’ Rally Announced in Basel for Anniversary of First Zionist Congress
