Riot police have dispersed several hundred anti-capitalist demonstrators at the World Economic Forum summit meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. The protestors, who vowed to bring the talks to a halt, say that the business and political delegates at the conference are simply furthering the interests of big multinational companies at the expense of under developed countries.
The World Economic Forum means huge prestige and revenue to Switzerland, and thus the authorities were determined the protests seen in Prague and Seattle last year would not be repeated. Despite the huge security and the falling snow, 200 demonstrators travelled to Davos. The protesters, shouting anti-globalisation slogans and carrying banners saying "Wipe out WEF" and "Money, Power, Profit destroy the World", were surrounded by police in riot gear, who outnumbered them.
The group's efforts were thwarted by a line of steel barriers backed by riot police around 500 metres from the conference centre. The inevitable clashes came in the afternoon, with the police using water cannon in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. The protesters, squeezed from behind by another line of police barriers, were directed down a side street and eventually led towards the station, from where they were taken away by a special four-carriage train to the town of Landquart, 35 kilometres away.
One of the protesters said that the demonstrators comprised small groups from German-speaking Switzerland who had slipped into the tourist resort under the pretext of visiting one of its many museums. A police spokesman declined to comment. Police earlier blocked some 250 protestors, including a member of the European Parliament, who were trying to get to Davos.
