7 in Swiss trial over protest against quarry expansion

GENEVA — Seven activists person gone connected proceedings successful Switzerland connected Monday implicit charges including alleged trespassing and resisting arrest, implicit their roles successful a campsite protestation against the enlargement of a limestone quarry successful rolling Swiss countryside.

The defendants, who are being tried separately successful rapid-succession hearings this week, are the archetypal among immoderate 40 radical who are facing tribunal enactment implicit the amusement of civilian disobedience astatine Mormont hill, the tract of a quarry owned by Swiss-French operation materials institution Lafarge Holcim located astir 25 kilometers (15 miles) northbound of Lausanne.

The ineligible showdown is the latest lawsuit successful Switzerland pitting biology campaigners against large business. Holcim, the Swiss company, has argued that the tract is important to assistance trim reliance connected different countries’ resources for its accumulation of gathering materials.

Protesters against plans to grow the quarry had acceptable up a makeshift campsite and squatted an abandoned location successful the country earlier much than 100 constabulary successful riot gear, firing teardrop state and rubber bullets, connected March 30 expelled astir 200 activists, according to Swiss media reported astatine the time.

On Monday, dozens of activists turned retired extracurricular the courtroom successful the lakeside municipality of Nyon with banners oregon seated connected the crushed to enactment the defendants, who look up to six months successful prison.

The proceedings is expected to tally thorough Wednesday.

Holcim, which extracts chromatic utilized to marque cement adjacent the site, dropped the charges initially filed for trespassing, but nationalist prosecutors person pursued the case.