Street Parade: 900,000 people in Zurich and 906 medical call-outs

More than 900,000 people gathered on Saturday around Zurich’s lake basin for the 33rd Street Parade, Europe’s largest techno party. The event ended without serious injuries, but it placed a heavy load on emergency services and the police.

Schutz und Rettung Zürich carried out 906 medical interventions over the course of the day. According to the municipal police, most of them involved cuts, grazes and alcohol intoxication.

Thirty people were arrested. The offences range from theft to drug trafficking, from assault to breaches of immigration law. In the evening and night hours the authorities recorded «un’impennata di segnalazioni per risse, aggressioni e atti di violenza» (a surge in reports of brawls, assaults and acts of violence).

Searches led to the seizure of more than 50 grams of amphetamine, over 40 grams of ketamine, around 20 grams of cocaine and more than 100 ecstasy tablets.

This year’s edition took place in high temperatures, which tested participants and medical staff alike. Despite the heat the crowd danced around the lake basin, turning the city into one large open-air space. The authorities described the atmosphere as broadly calm and stressed the importance of safety measures at an event of this size.