Zug,23.02.2018

SP party tables questions to cantonal parliament

It was reported last week how a fasnacht float including a reference to jungle-dwelling insect-eating negroes caused offence. Now the SP parliamentary party is calling on the government to take action to prevent this sort of thing happening again.
 
When he initially heard of the criticism, Felix Iten, the chairman of the fasnacht association responsible, said that one should remember that it was traditional at this time of year for people to make fun of current trends (in this case the eating of insects, which are now available at the Coop).
 
It its letter tabling a question to the cantonal government about this, the SP party agreed that this latter point was the case but said the racist element in reference to negroes on the side of this float in Unterägeri, and which was later paraded through Allenwinden, went too far. “It is because the whole population is invited to take part in fasnacht celebrations that the organisers, and indeed private individuals, too, bear a responsibility to society with regard to what is exhibited,” the party wrote.
 
Mention was made of the fact that a float in the canton of Thurgovia sporting the text, “Switzerland, a paradise for asylum-seekers” had had it removed before it went through a neighbouring municipality. The SP party further pointed out that the Cantonal Integration Advisory Centre was just such a body to be consulted in such cases; it seems their advice was not sought on this occasion.
 
The SP party asked the cantonal government to clarify what legal measures were already in place at state, cantonal and municipal level to ensure such racist texts did not appear in the future, or what could be done to have them withdrawn with immediate effect if they did appear, in order to avoid offence to those of a non-European background.