Today’s incident outside the Swiss Parliament in Bern has sparked a security alert that shut down part of the city for several hours. The alert was raised when federal security staffers noticed a man wearing a bulletproof vest and a weapon holster whose behavior and appearance were suspicious. Upon inspection, the 27-year-old was found to be in possession of explosives.
The area was sealed off, while nearby buildings and Parliament were evacuated. A car linked to the man was parked on the Bundesplatz, opposite Parliament, and police were called to the scene. A police robot stood next to the suspicious car and, after being examined, it was determined that the car posed no danger. The emergency measures were lifted at around 7pm, about five hours after being called to the scene. No detail on the explosives has yet been shared, along with a possible motive and the identity of the man.
