Switzerland Trump protest: People march through Basel as part of Fastnacht carnival dressed as US President with middle finger hats

During Fastnacht carnival people dress up and march down the street and throw confetti. It is also meant to be quite satirical and is often laden with political undertones.

A video shared on TikTok shows how this year people marched through the streets of Basel in Switzerland dressed as US President Trump but with middle finger hats on. The video has also been shared on X, formerly Twitter, with one person responding to the post saying: “Where can we purchase those hats? “.

Another posted: “I love the vibe”. A third said: “Wow not even Switzerland, the most neutral country the world has ever seen, has had enough of Trump. First time seeing a middle finger playing a flute. They say you always remember your first.”

However, others supported Trump and criticised the Swiss for dressing up like this. One person wrote: “Vulgar and stupid”. Another said: “Retards in clown suits”.

The festival takes place annually between February and March in Basel. It has been listed as one of the top fifty local festivities in Europe.

It comes as Switzerland is closely following the impact of potential U.S. tariffs imposed by Trump. Its government said on Wednesday (12 March) that it is continuing to pursue dialogue with his administration.

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told Reuters Switzerland and the U.S. are close economic partners, adding that it wished to maintain the "best possible market access." The United States is a crucial market for Swiss products, taking nearly 19% of its goods exports in 2024.