Hubby went over there and said nearly all the roads into the city are blocked off.
A court case involving the "Hells Angels".
Check road conditions at TCS website: https://www.tcs.ch/fr/tools/inforout...lle-trafic.php
It says "Banhofplatz-Lorrainebrücke, police operation in course". Other roads are theoretically open but very slow traffic (in red in the map).
Great. Sounds like the city needs to be avoided for a while then.
What kick-started this?
Most of them are electric starts nowadays.
Same as always... the Hell's angels and rivaling Bandidos had 2019 a massive fight. One that included knives and firearms... the problems today is that the 22 accused are getting trialed together and around 200 "1%er" showed up to support their faction. Rocks and bottles were thrown before the court house at each other, but the cops have to keep those gangs apart - and are by now using tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets.
With all the rules and laws in Switzerland am I surprised that this isnt been tackled - in Germany is there a ban on insignia of criminal organizations. Both clubs are on that list so the bikers would get arrested for wearing the jackets they are wearing in Berne. Making them come to court in jeans and t shirt solves half of the gang behaviour.
If I were the head cop I’d just put the barriers around them and let them go to it. I’d also find their bikes and let the air out the tires.
This reminds me of a funny thing we saw over the weekend... rest stop in Italy (Autogrill), and a group of Portuguese bikers, wearing denim and leather cuttes, with their gang rockers and other biker insignia, looking tough but not menacing... almost as if it was fashion.
They were served American style hamburgers, and then proceeded to eat the burgers with forks and knives, much how we'd imagine the British royal family might tackle a Big Mac.
The British Rpoyal family perfer Pizza from Pizza Hut in Woking
I always thought that Swiss 'Hells Angels' were no more than middle aged bank managers thinking they were the 'wild ones' for just having a slow, heavy and over chromed HD.
This lot seem more serious.
Plus, given that most revenue streams for 'real' biker gangs are pretty much legalised here.. what are they fighting about ?
Mostly for "territory" or maybe for the hell of it.
Even with some of the things legalised, they still don't want another club selling the same goods and services next to them.
Oy! I eat my burgers, and Pizzas, with cutlery. And I’m not a Royal or a Portuguese biker.
Article in English detailing what it’s all about.
Are you Donald Trump then?
Not at all, well left of centre.
Are you talking about prostitution? Biker gangs typically run rackets... you can do that with prostitutes no matter if its legal or not (And being a pimp is illegal in Switzerland...). Not sure about other countries, but when I studied in Germany were the Hells Angels basically controlling the entire nightlife scene - if you provide the bouncers do you control who deals the drugs in the club...
That case in Bern was not some bar fight between some rough guys... shots were fired and people are charged with attempted homicide.
Three weeks ago did the Hells Angels in Germany have a similar attack on somebody they didnt like: Does this sounds like some "middle aged bank managers"?
They love the image of being just an alternative way of life with bikes, beer and music... but the reality is a little different. Here is a high quality documentary on them in German:
there is another biker gang called United Tribuns who don ́t actually have motorbikes!
We have to go to Bern on Thursday morning so hope they’ve signposted the road diversions.
Swiss example of MCs in the bouncing business: Broncos Security staff is visible at many locations in the Bern area (e.g. eichholz park in Wabern), they get contracts from municipalities.
That company was born out of the MC club of the same name that is apparently one of the clubs creating trouble today (allied with the Hells Angels, against the Bandidos guys), and the management and club membership have some overlap according to some Blick article from 2014 raising the issue.
To their credit, the company might have done some internal professionalization work since they get public contracts, and those got renewed even after the knife-and-gun fight of 2019.
The private security business seems to attract criminal elements regardless. Still, a good example of a potential racket even in Switzerland, especially if you control nightlife locations and thus the drug trade.
I'd rather plan the trip with waypoints in advance to avoid the Bollwerk area. It's not that hard depending on your destination.