A city councilor in Switzerland has apologized and reportedly sought police protection against threats after she fired a sport pistol at an auction poster of a 14th-century Madonna and child painting and posted images of their bullet-ridden faces on social media.

Green-Liberal party official Sanija Ameti, 32, put the images on Instagram over the weekend before quickly pulling them down. She later said she had been practicing shots from about 10 meters (33 feet) and found the poster as “big enough” for a suitable target.

“I apologize to the people who were hurt by my post. I deleted it immediately when I realized its religious content. I didn’t think about it,” Ameti wrote on X. “I’m incredibly sorry.”

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          23
          ·
          2 months ago

          What’s funny is that U.S. conservatives often point to Switzerland as a big success when it comes to guns, ignoring things like the socialized mental health care that Switzerland also has. Along with a permitting system, something else they would be against.

          • Sewer_King@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            14
            ·
            2 months ago

            If I recall correctly, Switzerland has a lot of gun control laws that dictate who can own a firearm, when and where the firearm can be used, and ownership requires strict training and licensing that often comes from the compulsory military service that the country requires. All of that would be great to have here in the US since the little tidbit about guns in our rule book mentions a well-regulated militia.

          • SoJB@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            2 months ago

            Swiss labor is also some of the most expensive in all of Europe. They’ve done well for themselves with all that Nazi gold.

          • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            2 months ago

            Not to mention, part of why it’s so big is the compulsory military service and militia/reserve. The Swiss army reserve encompasses the vast majority of the male Swiss population.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 months ago

      Switzerland has one of the highest per capita gun ownership rates in the world, and I am pretty sure it’s the highest in Europe by a big margin.