Swiss police use rubber bullets to disperse PKK protest

Swiss police used rubber bullets to disperse protesters at Saturday's unauthorized demonstration by PYD/PKK supporters in the capital Bern, local media reported on Sunday.

Clashes between the police and protesters were also reported, according to daily Blick.

The police had to intervene after the demonstrators indulged in acts of vandalism, Swissinfo news agency said.

Some 400 protesters had gathered to protest Turkey's ongoing operation in northwestern Syria's Afrin, the reports said.

They were also protesting Swiss arms exports, which they reportedly said, were fuelling wars all over the world.

The protesters lit a bonfire and sprayed the buildings with paint -- damaging the facade, despite warnings by the police.

Police also took details of at least 239 protestors.

Swissinfo said the damage to property amounted to hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs.

This was not the first demonstration by PYD/PKK supporters in Switzerland which ended in violence.

PYD/PKK supporters had pelted stones at the Turkish Consulate in Zurich in February 2016.

On Jan. 20 Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin to clear the area from PKK and Daesh terrorists.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and has been responsible for the death of nearly 40,000 people.

More than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children, have been killed since July 2015 alone when the group resumed its armed campaign against the country.