NEWS AND MORE's video: Swiss march in lakeside tax haven to protest COVID 19 lockdown

Swiss march in lakeside tax haven to protest COVID 19 lockdown Some 500 protesters marched through the Swiss tax haven of Zug on Saturday (February 6), wearing white protective suits and chanting dystopian slogans to voice displeasure with rules aimed at limiting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demonstration was reminiscent of a rally a week ago in Vienna, where thousands opposed to that country's even-stricter lockdown faced off against police. Though Switzerland's restrictions have been less severe than those in Germany, Austria or Italy -- restaurants and non-essential shops are closed but ski areas are open -- there is still a steady buzz of opposition. In Zug, police watched but did not intervene as a group of protesters filed from the train station to the centre of the lakeside city known for shell companies with letter-box addresses and attractive tax rates. One protester wore the Swiss flag, with a sign that read "Freedom" in four languages. A loudspeaker droned, "Closeness is dangerous" and "Denounce those you love". "It's the citizens who decide and the state has to serve the people," a protester said, without giving his name, but identifying himself as a psychotherapist who have seen more and more people sliding into depression. A woman said she was there for the next generation. "I'm a grandmother," she said. "I don't want my grandchildren to grow up in a world where so much is forbidden." Switzerland's health minister Alain Berset said last week the government planned to keep existing restrictions in place until at least the end of the month, and potentially longer, as more infectious coronavirus variants spread. COVID cases in Switzerland have dropped since hitting their peak late last year, though there were more than 1,500 new infections on Friday (February 5). Since the start of the pandemic, more than 530,000 Swiss have been infected and almost 9,000 have died. (Production: Arnd Wiegmann, Clotaire Achi, Michaela Cabrera)