Bill Clinton, Protests followed his address
Police in riot gear managed to block the demonstrators only after they had advanced to within half a kilometer of the summit's venue. Initially the demonstrators threw objects at police and smashed several windows of a McDonald's fast-food restaurant before marching through police lines towards the centre. Demonstrators continued throwing objects including wood and bottles, as well as snowballs, over the barricade erected by police to prevent them advancing further.
The demonstrators defied a court ban on demonstrations in Davos to mark Clinton's arrival. The Swiss army was called in to back up police, and had set up road blocks on routes leading to the town. Mr Clinton had addressed the WEF meeting a few hours earlier, but had remained in Davos holding other meetings.
Mr Clinton is the first sitting US president to attend the meeting where he will give a keynote address. Mr Clinton and the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, are having talks with a string of leaders from areas of regional tension or conflict. The Swiss army was deployed to back up local police in providing security, as groups opposed to globalisation planned protests.
