ESC - An opening ceremony without any significant problems for the security forces
MedienmitteilungKantone Basel-Stadt und Basel-Landschaft
Bikantonale Einsatzorganisation ESC
The opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) on Sunday afternoon went off without any problems worth mentioning from the point of view of the emergency services. The police and emergency services, who were present in large numbers, had a lot to do in providing assistance. Thanks to their presence, the police were able to stop around 150 people at the Messeplatz and thus prevent the official event from being disrupted.
With a large police contingent from all over Switzerland under the direction of the Basel-Stadt cantonal police and the Basel-Landschaft police, the security forces accompanied the «Opening Ceremony» in front of Basel City Hall and the subsequent parade towards the Messeplatz. There were isolated incidents of disorder during the parade. Several people were subjected to identity checks by the police on site. Parallel to the parade, a group of around 150 people made their way from the Mittlere Brücke to the Messeplatz. There, the group was stopped by the presence of police forces, allowing the official event to go ahead undisturbed.
The Basel-Stadt ambulance service - also supported by partner organizations from Switzerland and bordering countries - had to provide medical care for five people and transfer them to hospital.