Police hit by second night of riots after migrant killed

Violence has engulfed the Swiss city of Lausanne for a second consecutive night after the death of a 17-year-old migrant sparked widespread unrest. The teenager, identified as Marvin M, was killed early on Sunday morning when the scooter he was riding crashed into a wall while fleeing police.

His death has ignited anger in the French-speaking city on the shores of Lake Geneva, where tensions between police and migrant communities were already high. According to prosecutors, officers were pursuing Marvin on suspicion that the scooter he was riding was stolen. At about 3.45am, he lost control and collided with a wall. Police insist there was no physical contact between their patrol car and the scooter, though they confirmed they were following him at the time of the crash.

Prosecutors said two motorists reached the scene before officers arrived, and a criminal investigation has been opened to establish the exact circumstances.

The incident marked the third death involving police in Lausanne in under three months. Since 2016, at least seven men have died during police interventions in the wider Vaud canton - five of them of African origin. The string of cases has fueled allegations of systemic racism and excessive force.

The unrest began on Sunday evening, hours after news of Marvin’s death spread. Around 100 people gathered in Lausanne’s Prélaz neighborhood, hurling fireworks and Molotov cocktails at police. Protesters also torched bins and abandoned buses, while riot officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets in response.

By Monday, the violence had intensified. Police said up to 200 demonstrators erected burning barricades, blocked roads, and attacked officers with pyrotechnics. Seven people were arrested before order was restored shortly after midnight.

Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, Lausanne’s security councillor, said: "Pyrotechnic devices were used against the police – it’s scandalous. We are facing a movement that has nothing to do with the death of this youth, but which is using it as an excuse to attack law enforcement. It’s disgraceful."

Many locals disagreed. Flowers, candles, and photographs have been placed at the site where Marvin died, turning it into a memorial.

His family rejected accusations that he was a thief. Marvin’s mother said: "My son was not a criminal. He should not be remembered as a thief." His brother wrote online: "You should be with me, at home, in our room, which we’ve always shared."

The unrest comes at a delicate moment for Lausanne’s police force. Just a day after Marvin’s death, four officers were suspended following the discovery of racist and sexist messages in private WhatsApp groups. Critics say the revelations have only deepened mistrust in the force.

Thibault Schaller, a councillor for the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, said: "Buses and trash cans were set on fire in Prélaz in reaction to the death of the 17-year-old youth.

"When I went to see what was happening, some Antifa recognised me. Three of them surrounded me and ordered me to leave. I refused, and then a group of 10 or 15 people came running at me."

Tensions nearly spilled over into a third night on Tuesday, but officials said the deployment of additional police resources prevented further escalation. Still, authorities remain braced for more unrest.

As Lausanne reels from the riots, Marvin’s death continues to divide opinion between those who see it as a tragic accident and those who view it as part of a broader pattern of injustice.