Swiss city council apologizes for shooting at Mary and Jesus poster

GENEVA — A Zurich city councilor has apologized and reportedly requested police protection against threats after she fired a sports pistol at an auction poster for a 14th-century painting of a Madonna and Child and posted pictures of the pair's bullet-riddled faces on social media.

Sanija Ameti, 32, of the Green Liberal Party, posted the images on Instagram over the weekend before quickly taking them down. She later explained on social media that she had practiced shooting from about 10 meters away and only found the poster to be “big enough” to be a suitable target.

“I apologize to the people who felt hurt by my post. I deleted it immediately when I noticed the religious content. I didn't think about it,” Ameti wrote on X. “I am incredibly sorry.”

The Zurich regional association of the Green Liberals announced that it had initiated exclusion proceedings against Ameti in the regional association. The Farner Group, a consulting firm where she worked, announced in an email that it had decided on Monday to “terminate” the employment relationship with Ameti.

The images continued to circulate in Swiss media and online on Tuesday. Daily 20 Minutes published a photo of Ameti standing in a sort of stone-paneled crypt, aiming a large pistol at them. Another image showed bullet holes in the haloed heads and faces of Mary and Jesus.

The poster, an advertisement from the Koller auction house, showed details of the work “Madonna and Child with the Archangel Michael” by the 14th-century Italian painter Tommaso del Mazza, which is scheduled to go on sale on September 20.

Employees, allies and her employer distanced themselves from Ameti's actions, especially ahead of the upcoming September 22 referendums on national and local issues – including an initiative to better protect biodiversity in Switzerland, which is supported by the Green Liberal party in Zurich.

Kath.ch, a website of the media center of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, said the Swiss bishops condemned Ameti's use of firearms “in which she aimed at an image of Mary and the baby Jesus. This hurts the religious feelings of many Catholics – including their own (those of the bishops).”

The website used a swear word and said Ameti had sparked a storm of indignation, saying she had contacted kath.ch by email and said she and her family had “placed themselves under police protection due to threats.”

Operation Libero, a free democracy advocacy group she co-founded, said she had asked for forgiveness and admitted her actions were “absolutely stupid.” The group called her actions “wrong and inappropriate” and said it supported religious freedom and opposed sedition.

Ameti, a gun enthusiast and lawyer with expertise in cybersecurity, has reportedly performed stunts in the past, including wearing military uniforms to an event alongside members of the populist Swiss People's Party and putting up campaign posters in Albania, where her family is from.