On March 11, 2012, 55% of voters in a national Switzerland referendum agreed to increase fines for public protesters who demonstrated without government authorization. After passage of the referendum, a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs would be imposed on anyone who protested without government authorization. The fine would also be imposed on demonstrators who failed to comply with police injunctions. While groups in favor of the law argued that it would crack down on violent protests, the United Nations (UN), based in Geneva, opposed the law on the basis that it would infringe on the freedoms of assembly and speech.

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